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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming small “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a tussle between a closed attraction, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the heated discussion over their fate often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities disallowed the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are kept warned to end their lives unless the authorities funds the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, problem solving and social skills indicate they are deeply intelligent animals – something a former trainer learned personally.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a role that required building relationships of the marine predators.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so surprised by the subtleties and quirks in their dispositions. She cultivated a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with different natures.

“Eve selected me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Both altered the way I perceive bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her tenure at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the facility links to natural mortality, but which campaigners say points to the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The facility did not operate to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand effects of the shutdown. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and swim around with fragments in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but previously asserted: “The whales … obtain far better health care and constant care than any individual in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in recent months following the passing of Eos, an ailing beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility believed particulars of the death were shared to the media and she was let go soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in anguish. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any plans to euthanize even a one beluga would require “considerable personnel”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

She supports demands for the whales to be transferred right away from the park, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a request to transfer the whales to China.

“Allowing the request would have meant a perpetual situation in captivity and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister commented. “As Canadians, we know that belugas should be in the sea, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience authorize an relocation that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements reflect a wider lack of awareness of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities work to find a resolution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of food for local populations.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received regulatory clearance, has shown to be highly debated. The prospective location, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Supporters remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a long term solution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the possibility of a sanctuary indicates a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a workable approach in the near future.

The project lead, head of the plan, said the site will replicate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales get from specialists, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|