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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming little “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a tussle between a defunct facility, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated debate over their destiny often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities disallowed the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial attraction near Niagara Falls where they are held threatened to euthanize them unless the authorities covers the expense of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and group interactions indicate they are remarkably smart creatures – something one caretaker discovered first-hand.

Burgess spent several years as a whale caretaker, a job that entailed gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the beginning, 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 magical and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the details and unique traits in their dispositions. She formed a particular love for two female belugas with contrasting temperaments.

“Eve chose me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Each altered the way I understand connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales evolved against a background of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her three years at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, died. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say indicates the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The facility did not operate to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the shutdown. “Concrete is deteriorating from the pools because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and move about with fragments in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not respond to a request for comment, but in the past claimed: “The whales … obtain far superior health care and 24/7 attention than any person in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the park in early March following the passing of a beluga, an ailing beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the park thought details of the incident were shared to the news outlets and she was released not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and other caretakers in anguish. She says the facility’s warning to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any plans to put down even a single beluga would require “considerable staff”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

Burgess supports demands for the whales to be taken promptly from the park, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a request to export the whales to China.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a ongoing situation in enclosure and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official wrote. “As the public, we know that marine mammals are meant for the sea, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in good conscience authorize an relocation that would continue the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements reflect a wider lack of awareness of the facts of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely 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 ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials work to find a answer, ideas have been put forward, 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 key source of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received official endorsement, has shown to be most controversial. The prospective location, which includes a large area of protected cove, is not yet built. Supporters remain optimistic that it could in time represent a long term resolution for a number of the whales.

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

Others say the possibility of a refuge represents a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a workable approach in the near future.

The project lead, leader of the sanctuary project, said the facility will simulate the mental engagement and diet the whales get 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|