It is deeply saddening’: how thirty confined white whales are being used as tools in row over animal welfare.
The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.
A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a disagreement between a defunct facility, public officials and welfare campaigners.
But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned debate over their destiny often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the humans who see them each day.
After the national authorities blocked the transfer of the belugas to China, the controversial amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are held warned to end their lives unless the federal government funds the cost of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.
Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures
Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and group interactions indicate they are deeply intelligent animals – something one caretaker learned directly.
She spent several years as a whale caretaker, a role that entailed building relationships of the aquatic animals.
“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”
The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so astounded by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She developed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting natures.
“One whale chose me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Each transformed the way I understand bonding.”
Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions
Burgess’s relationship with the whales developed against a background of increasing societal concern to their captivity.
During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the park ascribes to expected lifespan, but which activists say points to the poor conditions in which they were kept.
The park did not admit visitors to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the pools because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and navigate with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”
The facility did not comment to a inquiry, but earlier asserted: “The whales … get far superior medical attention and 24/7 supervision than any person in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”
Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions
Burgess was fired from the park in early March following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the park suspected particulars of the death were leaked to the press and she was fired soon after.
The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in anguish. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “immense manpower”, vehicles and heavy equipment.
“There’s no way in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.
She backs demands for the whales to be transferred promptly from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.
In the autumn, Canada’s government official denied a bid to transfer the whales to an overseas location.
“To approve the application would have meant a continued situation in enclosure and a return to display for amusement,” the minister stated. “As the public, we know that belugas belong in the ocean, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in good conscience approve an relocation that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have experienced.”
But Burgess said the official’s statements indicate a broader misunderstanding of the circumstances of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.
“The public needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”
Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate
As decision makers attempt to find a resolution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of food for local populations.
A suggested sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has shown to be highly debated. The planned facility, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Supporters remain positive that it could eventually represent a permanent answer for some of the whales.
But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ future.
Some experts say the idea of a sanctuary reflects a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a workable solution in the near future.
The project lead, director of the initiative, said the location will replicate the cognitive activities and diet the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|
