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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute small “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a tussle between a closed attraction, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned controversy over their destiny often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the people who see them each day.

After the national authorities prevented the export of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are housed threatened to put them down unless the government funds the expense of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, problem solving and communal behavior suggest they are remarkably smart animals – something a former trainer learned personally.

Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a position that entailed building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so amazed by the details and quirks in their dispositions. She formed a special affection for two female belugas with contrasting temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Both transformed the way I understand connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s interaction with the whales progressed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her tenure at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say indicates the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The facility did not admit visitors to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly results of the cessation. “Structural materials is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not comment to a questionnaire, but previously claimed: “The whales … obtain far higher quality veterinary services and around the clock supervision than any human in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in recent months following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility thought particulars of the death were leaked to the news outlets and she was let go not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the park’s threat to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any plans to put down even a individual beluga would require “significant manpower”, trucks and specialized tools.

“There’s no way in hell the staff would ever do it,” she said.

She supports demands for the whales to be taken right away from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In late September, Canada’s government official rejected a request to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the request would have meant a continued situation in enclosure and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that whales are meant for the wild, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience approve an export that would continue the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements indicate a wider lack of awareness of the facts of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a answer, proposals have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a key source of food for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has proven contentious. The prospective location, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Advocates remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a long term solution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the prospect of a refuge reflects a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a workable solution in the short term.

An official, head of the sanctuary project, said the facility will simulate the cognitive activities and diet the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|