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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable little “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a struggle between a shuttered park, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned discussion over their destiny often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the people who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government prevented the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are held warned to end their lives unless the government pays for the expense of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that demand, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, problem solving and social skills indicate they are deeply intelligent creatures – something one caretaker observed personally.

Burgess spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that entailed building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the details and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She formed a deep bond for two female belugas with different temperaments.

“Eve selected me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Each altered the way I perceive relationships.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, died. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the facility ascribes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say points to the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The park did not open to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the shutdown. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and swim around with chunks in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not reply to a questionnaire, but in the past stated: “The whales … get far higher quality medical attention and around the clock supervision than any human in the UK, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in early March following the death of Eos, an sick beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the facility believed details of the incident were disclosed to the press and she was released soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left her and current and former trainers in distress. She says the facility’s warning to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any plans to euthanize even a one beluga would require “considerable manpower”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

Burgess advocates for demands for the whales to be taken right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a bid to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the application would have meant a continued situation in confinement and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister commented. “As society, we know that marine mammals belong in the ocean, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience approve an transfer that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements reflect a wider incorrect perception of the circumstances of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities attempt to find a solution, proposals 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 important part of food for Inuit communities.

A suggested refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received government approval, has proven most controversial. The prospective location, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a long term solution for eight of the whales.

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

Different voices say the idea of a protected habitat indicates a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a viable approach in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, director of the initiative, said the location will replicate the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|