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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves 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 become pawns in a struggle between a shuttered park, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned debate over their destiny often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the people who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial attraction near the famous falls where they are held threatened to euthanize them unless the federal government covers the cost of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, problem solving and social skills point to they are highly cognitive creatures – something Kristy Burgess learned directly.

Burgess spent three years as a whale caretaker, a role that entailed gaining confidence of the marine predators.

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

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so surprised by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She developed a special affection for two female belugas with different personalities.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Each transformed the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales developed against a background of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility links to natural mortality, but which advocates say reflects the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The park did not admit visitors to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly effects of the shutdown. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and swim around with fragments in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but earlier stated: “The whales … receive far higher quality veterinary services and 24/7 attention than any person in the UK, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in early March following the passing of Eos, an unwell beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the park suspected particulars of the death were leaked to the press and she was fired soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left her and other caretakers in anguish. She says the facility’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any attempts to put down even a one beluga would require “immense staff”, trucks and specialized tools.

“It cannot happen in hell the staff would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess advocates for demands for the whales to be removed right away from the park, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

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

“To approve the application would have meant a ongoing existence in enclosure and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As the public, we know that belugas belong in the wild, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing permit an relocation that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks indicate a more general misunderstanding of the realities of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a answer, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of food for local populations.

A suggested sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received regulatory clearance, has been contentious. The planned facility, which includes a large area of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a sustainable resolution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the idea of a protected habitat indicates a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a workable plan in the short term.

Charles Vinick, head of the initiative, said the facility will simulate the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|