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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

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

But those working directly with the whales say the intense discussion over their future often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities prevented the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near Niagara Falls where they are kept warned to end their lives unless the federal government pays for the expense of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and communal behavior suggest they are remarkably smart animals – something one caretaker learned first-hand.

She spent three years as a beluga trainer, a role that involved building relationships of the marine predators.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so astounded by the subtleties and unique traits in their dispositions. She developed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing personalities.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Both changed the way I understand connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s relationship with the whales evolved against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her tenure at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the park ascribes to expected lifespan, but which activists say indicates the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the shutdown. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and move about with fragments in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but earlier asserted: “The whales … get far higher quality veterinary services and around the clock supervision than any person in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in recent months following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility thought particulars of the incident were shared to the media and she was let go soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left her and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the facility’s threat to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any plans to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “significant manpower”, vehicles and machinery.

“It’s impossible in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess advocates for calls for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In late September, Canada’s government official denied a request to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the application would have meant a continued situation in captivity and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official commented. “As society, we know that whales are meant for the sea, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in good conscience authorize an transfer that would continue the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks reflect a more general misunderstanding of the realities of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers work to find a answer, proposals have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received official endorsement, has proven highly debated. The planned location, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a sustainable resolution for a number of the whales.

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

Some experts say the possibility of a sanctuary indicates a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a viable solution in the near future.

Charles Vinick, head of the sanctuary project, said the site will mimic the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|