It is devastating’: how thirty confined white whales are being used as bargaining chips in dispute over animal cruelty.
Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming little “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.
A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a struggle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.
But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned controversy over their future often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who work with them regularly.
After the Canadian government prevented the transfer of the belugas to China, the embattled attraction near the famous falls where they are held warned to euthanize them unless the federal government funds the cost of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.
Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals
Researchers say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and communal behavior suggest they are highly cognitive mammals – something one caretaker learned directly.
She spent several years as a whale caretaker, a position that involved building relationships of the marine predators.
“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”
The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the details and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She developed a particular love for two female belugas with opposing temperaments.
“One whale chose me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Both transformed the way I view bonding.”
Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions
Burgess’s interaction with the whales progressed against a background of rising activist criticism to their captivity.
During her three years at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility attributes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say points to the poor conditions in which they were kept.
The facility did not operate to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly consequences of the closure. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”
The facility did not comment to a request for comment, but earlier stated: “The whales … obtain far better veterinary services and constant supervision than any individual in the Britain, or anywhere else.”
Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions
Burgess was terminated from the park in early March following the passing of Eos, an ailing beluga the employees had to put down. She said the facility believed details of the death were leaked to the media and she was fired soon after.
The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the park’s warning to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any plans to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “immense staff”, equipment and machinery.
“It’s impossible in hell the caretakers would ever do it,” she said.
She advocates for calls for the whales to be transferred right away from the park, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.
In late September, Canada’s government official denied a request to send the whales to an overseas location.
“Granting the request would have meant a ongoing existence in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As the public, we know that whales belong in the ocean, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing approve an relocation that would continue the conditions these belugas have suffered.”
But Burgess said the minister’s statements reveal a wider misunderstanding of the facts of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.
“The people needs to understand these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”
Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate
As decision makers work to find a resolution, ideas have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of food for Indigenous peoples.
A proposed protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has proven contentious. The future location, which includes extensive space of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain positive that it could eventually represent a sustainable answer for some of the whales.
But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.
Different voices say the possibility of a protected habitat reflects a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible plan in the near future.
Charles Vinick, leader of the sanctuary project, said the facility will mimic the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|
