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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a struggle between a defunct facility, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated discussion over their future often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the national authorities blocked the export of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are housed warned to euthanize them unless the federal government funds the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and communal behavior indicate they are highly cognitive mammals – something a former trainer discovered first-hand.

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

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the subtleties and unique traits in their personalities. She formed a special affection for two female belugas with different personalities.

“One whale selected me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Both changed the way I perceive relationships.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s connection with the whales evolved against a context of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility ascribes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say reflects the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the cessation. “Structural materials is falling apart from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not respond to a questionnaire, but in the past asserted: “The whales … obtain far superior veterinary services and 24/7 care than any person in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in early March following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the facility believed information of the death were disclosed to the press and she was released not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left her and staff members in despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any plans to put down even a one beluga would require “considerable personnel”, equipment 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 removed promptly from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a request to send the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the request would have meant a continued life in enclosure and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister commented. “As Canadians, we know that whales should be in the sea, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience permit an export that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reflect a broader lack of awareness of the circumstances of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a solution, proposals have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of food for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has shown to be contentious. The future location, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain positive that it could in time represent a permanent answer for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the idea of a sanctuary represents a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a viable approach in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, director of the sanctuary project, said the facility will simulate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales get from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|