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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a struggle between a shuttered park, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated debate over their fate often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the humans who see them each day.

After the federal government prevented the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are held warned to euthanize them unless the government funds the upkeep of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and group interactions suggest they are deeply intelligent animals – something Kristy Burgess learned directly.

Burgess spent three years as a whale caretaker, a job that entailed building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the nuances and unique traits in their dispositions. She cultivated a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing natures.

“Eve accepted me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “They changed the way I understand relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

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

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, died. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the park links to age-related causes, but which advocates say indicates the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The park did not operate to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the shutdown. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and move about with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not reply to a request for comment, but in the past claimed: “The whales … get far higher quality veterinary services and 24/7 care than any human in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an ailing beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the facility believed particulars of the death were shared to the press and she was released not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in despair. She says the park’s threat to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any efforts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “considerable personnel”, vehicles and machinery.

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

She advocates for demands for the whales to be taken immediately from the facility, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official rejected a request to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a continued life in captivity and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that belugas should be in the ocean, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience approve an export that would continue the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments reveal a wider lack of awareness of the facts of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

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

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials struggle to find a resolution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of food for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has been contentious. The future site, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a sustainable answer for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the possibility of a protected habitat represents a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable solution in the coming months.

The project lead, head of the plan, said the location will simulate the cognitive activities and diet the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|