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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute small “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a tussle between a shuttered park, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense controversy over their future often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been closely studied by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the federal government prevented the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near the famous falls where they are housed stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the authorities covers the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that demand, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and social skills indicate they are remarkably smart animals – something a former trainer learned directly.

Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a role that entailed gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very wary 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 highly intelligent, but she says she was even so astounded by the nuances and quirks in their characters. She developed a special affection for two female belugas with opposing personalities.

“Eve chose me. The other required effort,” she said. “They altered the way I view bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

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

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the facility attributes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say reflects the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The facility did not open to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand results of the closure. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and navigate with pieces in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not respond to a inquiry, but earlier claimed: “The whales … get far higher quality veterinary services and constant care than any individual in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in the spring following the passing of Eos, an sick beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the park thought details of the death were leaked to the press and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left her and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any plans to euthanize even a one beluga would require “significant manpower”, equipment and machinery.

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

Burgess supports calls for the whales to be removed immediately from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a bid to send the whales to China.

“To approve the application would have meant a continued situation in confinement and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that belugas should be in the ocean, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing approve an transfer that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments indicate a more general incorrect perception of the realities of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a solution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of sustenance for local populations.

A suggested protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has shown to be contentious. The future facility, which includes extensive space of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a long term resolution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the idea of a protected habitat represents a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a viable plan in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, leader of the plan, said the site will mimic the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|