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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute little “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a disagreement between a defunct facility, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the heated debate over their destiny often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the people who interact with them daily.

After the federal government disallowed the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near the famous falls where they are held threatened to euthanize them unless the federal government funds the upkeep of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and group interactions point to they are deeply intelligent creatures – something a former trainer discovered directly.

She spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a job that involved earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. 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 magical and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the details and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She formed a deep bond for a pair of whales with opposing personalities.

“Eve chose me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They altered the way I understand bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales developed against a background of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her time at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility ascribes to expected lifespan, but which activists say indicates the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The facility did not operate to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly effects of the closure. “Structural materials is breaking off from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and move about with fragments in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not reply to a request for comment, but in the past stated: “The whales … get far higher quality veterinary services and around the clock care than any human in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in the spring following the demise of Eos, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility believed information of the death were disclosed to the press and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “significant manpower”, equipment and specialized tools.

“It cannot happen in hell the staff would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess advocates for demands for the whales to be taken promptly from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In recent months, Canada’s government official rejected a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the application would have meant a continued life in enclosure and a return to display for amusement,” the official stated. “As society, we know that whales are meant for the ocean, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience permit an relocation that would continue the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reveal a wider misunderstanding of the circumstances of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” 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 emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for local populations.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has shown to be contentious. The prospective facility, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a sustainable resolution for eight of the whales.

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

Different voices say the idea of a refuge reflects a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible solution in the short term.

An official, director of the sanctuary project, said the location will mimic the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales get from trainers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|