The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute small “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.
Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a struggle between a defunct facility, government authorities and welfare campaigners.
But those most familiar with the whales say the intense debate over their fate often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been carefully observed by the people who interact with them daily.
After the national authorities prevented the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial facility near the famous falls where they are housed stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the federal government covers the upkeep of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.
Researchers say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and communal behavior point to they are highly cognitive creatures – something Kristy Burgess discovered personally.
Burgess spent three years as a whale caretaker, a job that involved building relationships of the sea creatures.
“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”
The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so astounded by the details and quirks in their personalities. She formed a particular love for two female belugas with opposing personalities.
“One whale chose me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Each changed the way I perceive bonding.”
Her relationship with the whales evolved against a context of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.
During her three years at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, died. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park attributes to natural mortality, but which advocates say reflects the poor conditions in which they were maintained.
The facility did not admit visitors to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the cessation. “Structural materials is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and navigate with chunks in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”
The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but in the past asserted: “The whales … obtain far higher quality veterinary services and 24/7 care than any individual in the UK, or other places.”
Burgess was fired from the park in early March following the passing of a beluga, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the park thought particulars of the incident were shared to the news outlets and she was released soon after.
The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left her and staff members in despair. She says the park’s threat to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any plans to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “immense staff”, equipment and heavy equipment.
“There’s no way in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.
Burgess advocates for demands for the whales to be removed immediately from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.
In late September, Canada’s government official turned down a bid to send the whales to an overseas location.
“Allowing the application would have meant a ongoing situation in captivity and a return to display for amusement,” the official wrote. “As the public, we know that marine mammals should be in the wild, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing approve an relocation that would continue the treatment these belugas have suffered.”
But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reflect a more general misunderstanding of the facts of existence for belugas born in captivity.
“The public needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”
As authorities struggle to find a answer, proposals have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of sustenance for local populations.
A suggested sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which has received regulatory clearance, has shown to be most controversial. The planned site, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain hopeful that it could in time represent a long term answer for eight of the whales.
But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ future.
Others say the prospect of a protected habitat represents a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a viable plan in the short term.
An official, leader of the plan, said the facility will mimic the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|
Astrophysicist and science communicator passionate about making complex space concepts accessible to everyone.
News