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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute little “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a disagreement between a defunct facility, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned debate over their destiny often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the humans who see them each day.

After the federal government disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the embattled attraction near Niagara Falls where they are housed stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the authorities pays for the upkeep of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and group interactions indicate they are highly cognitive creatures – something a former trainer observed directly.

She spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a role that entailed earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open 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 deep bond for a pair of whales with contrasting temperaments.

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

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales developed against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, died. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say points to the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The park did not admit visitors to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the cessation. “Concrete is breaking off from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and swim around with fragments in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not respond to a questionnaire, but earlier asserted: “The whales … get far higher quality health care and around the clock care than any individual in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in the spring following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the facility believed information of the death were shared to the press and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the facility’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any attempts to put down even a individual beluga would require “significant manpower”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess advocates for demands for the whales to be taken promptly from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a proposal to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the request would have meant a continued situation in confinement and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that whales should be in the ocean, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing approve an relocation that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments indicate a wider incorrect perception of the facts of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities work to find a answer, proposals have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has been contentious. The planned facility, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a long term solution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the idea of a refuge reflects a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable solution in the short term.

The project lead, director of the sanctuary project, said the location will replicate the mental engagement and diet the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|