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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a disagreement between a defunct facility, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned controversy over their destiny often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the people who see them each day.

After the Canadian government prevented 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 government pays for the cost of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and communal behavior indicate they are remarkably smart creatures – something Kristy Burgess observed first-hand.

Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a role that entailed gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the subtleties and quirks in their characters. She formed a particular love for a pair of whales with opposing temperaments.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Each altered the way I perceive relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her three years at the facility, 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 natural mortality, but which campaigners say reflects the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The facility did not admit visitors to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand effects of the shutdown. “Structural materials is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not respond to a questionnaire, but earlier asserted: “The whales … get far better health care and around the clock supervision than any human in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in recent months following the passing of a beluga, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the park thought details of the death were shared to the press and she was released soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left her and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any efforts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “considerable manpower”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

She supports demands for the whales to be removed immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a request to send the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the application would have meant a continued life in confinement and a return to display for amusement,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that whales are meant for the sea, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an transfer that would prolong the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reveal a broader misunderstanding of the facts of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

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

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers attempt to find a resolution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A proposed refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received regulatory clearance, has proven most controversial. The planned facility, which includes extensive space of protected cove, is not yet built. Supporters remain hopeful that it could in time represent a long term resolution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the idea of a refuge represents a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a viable solution in the near future.

The project lead, director of the plan, said the site will replicate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|