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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming small “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a disagreement between a closed attraction, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned controversy over their fate often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been closely studied by the people who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government prevented the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near the famous falls where they are housed stated it would consider to put them down unless the federal government pays for the cost of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that demand, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and social skills suggest they are deeply intelligent creatures – something one caretaker learned first-hand.

Burgess spent several years as a whale caretaker, a role that involved building relationships of the aquatic animals.

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

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so amazed by the details and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She developed a deep bond for a pair of whales with different temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Each changed the way I view connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s relationship with the whales evolved against a background of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, died. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility ascribes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say indicates the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The facility did not admit visitors to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes effects of the cessation. “Concrete is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and navigate with pieces in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not reply to a questionnaire, but in the past stated: “The whales … get far superior medical attention and around the clock attention than any individual in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in early March following the passing of Eos, an ailing beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility believed particulars of the death were shared to the news outlets and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the park’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any attempts to put down even a individual beluga would require “considerable staff”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

Burgess advocates for requests for the whales to be removed right away from the park, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a proposal to send the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the application would have meant a ongoing existence in confinement and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official commented. “As society, we know that whales are meant for the ocean, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience permit an relocation that would prolong the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements indicate a broader lack of awareness of the circumstances of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a solution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A suggested sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has been most controversial. The prospective facility, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain positive that it could in time represent a permanent resolution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the prospect of a refuge reflects a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable plan in the short term.

An official, head of the initiative, said the facility will simulate the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|