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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming little “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a tussle between a defunct facility, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense discussion over their fate often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the people who work with them regularly.

After the federal government disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the controversial facility near the famous falls where they are kept warned to euthanize them unless the federal government covers the expense of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and communal behavior point to they are highly cognitive mammals – something one caretaker discovered first-hand.

She spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a position that required gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She cultivated a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with different natures.

“Eve accepted me. The other required effort,” she said. “Both changed the way I understand bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales evolved against a background of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility links to natural mortality, but which activists say indicates the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The park did not open to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes effects of the cessation. “Concrete is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not comment to a questionnaire, but in the past asserted: “The whales … get far superior veterinary services and 24/7 supervision than any person in the UK, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in the spring following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the employees had to put down. She said the facility suspected details of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and other caretakers in anguish. She says the park’s threat to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any plans to put down even a single beluga would require “immense personnel”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess supports calls for the whales to be removed right away from the park, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

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

“To approve the request would have meant a continued situation in confinement and a return to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As society, we know that belugas should be in the wild, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing approve an relocation that would prolong the situation these belugas have endured.”

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

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

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a resolution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A planned protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received regulatory clearance, has proven contentious. The prospective site, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain positive that it could in time represent a permanent resolution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the possibility of a sanctuary represents a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible plan in the near future.

The project lead, leader of the initiative, said the site will mimic the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|