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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a struggle between a closed attraction, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the intense discussion over their destiny often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the federal government prevented the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are housed stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the authorities covers the expense of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and social skills suggest they are remarkably smart creatures – something Kristy Burgess observed personally.

Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a position that required gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the details and unique traits in their characters. She cultivated a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing natures.

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

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

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

During her tenure at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park links to expected lifespan, but which advocates say points to the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The facility did not admit visitors to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand results of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but previously stated: “The whales … obtain far superior health care and constant attention than any human in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in early March following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the park thought details of the death were disclosed to the press and she was released shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the park’s warning to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any plans to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “significant staff”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess backs requests for the whales to be transferred promptly from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official rejected a proposal to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the application would have meant a continued situation in captivity and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As the public, we know that whales belong in the sea, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing approve an export that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks indicate a more general misunderstanding of the realities of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

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

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities attempt to find a solution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of food for Inuit communities.

A proposed sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received government approval, has been most controversial. The future facility, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Advocates remain optimistic that it could in time represent a sustainable solution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess 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 protected habitat reflects a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a workable approach in the short term.

The project lead, leader of the plan, said the location will replicate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|