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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute little “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a disagreement between a defunct facility, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated debate over their destiny often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the federal government prevented the transfer of the belugas to China, the controversial attraction near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to euthanize them unless the authorities pays for the upkeep of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, problem solving and group interactions point to they are remarkably smart creatures – something one caretaker observed first-hand.

Burgess spent three years as a beluga trainer, a role that entailed earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the nuances and unique traits in their personalities. She developed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting temperaments.

“One whale selected me. The other demanded work,” she said. “They altered the way I view relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales developed against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the park ascribes to expected lifespan, but which activists say points to the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The park did not open to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly effects of the shutdown. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and move about with chunks in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but previously asserted: “The whales … get far better veterinary services and around the clock supervision than any individual in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in the spring following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility thought particulars of the incident were leaked to the media and she was fired soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s threat to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “considerable staff”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

“It’s impossible in hell the staff would ever do it,” she said.

She backs calls for the whales to be transferred right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a request to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a ongoing life in confinement and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that belugas belong in the ocean, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing approve an export that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks reveal a more general lack of awareness of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities attempt to find a resolution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a important part of sustenance for local populations.

A planned refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received government approval, has proven highly debated. The future site, which includes extensive space of protected cove, is not yet built. Proponents remain positive that it could in time represent a long term resolution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the prospect of a sanctuary indicates a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable plan in the near future.

Charles Vinick, head of the initiative, said the site will mimic the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|