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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable small “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a tussle between a closed attraction, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned debate over their fate often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government disallowed the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling facility near Niagara Falls where they are housed warned to euthanize them unless the authorities funds the cost of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and group interactions indicate they are highly cognitive mammals – something one caretaker observed personally.

Burgess spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that involved building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the subtleties and quirks in their dispositions. She developed a deep bond for two female belugas with opposing natures.

“One whale accepted me. The other required effort,” she said. “Both transformed the way I perceive connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales progressed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her three years at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park ascribes to natural mortality, but which activists say points to the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not open to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the shutdown. “Concrete is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not comment to a inquiry, but earlier asserted: “The whales … obtain far superior medical attention and constant care than any human in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in the spring following the passing of Eos, an unwell beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the park thought particulars of the death were leaked to the news outlets and she was released not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the facility’s threat to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any attempts to put down even a single beluga would require “immense manpower”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

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

In the autumn, Canada’s government official turned down a proposal to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the application would have meant a continued existence in captivity and a return to display for amusement,” the minister commented. “As Canadians, we know that whales belong in the ocean, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing permit an relocation that would prolong the situation these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements indicate a wider misunderstanding of the facts of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers work to find a solution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A planned sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which now received official endorsement, has proven contentious. The future location, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a long term solution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the prospect of a sanctuary represents a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a feasible solution in the near future.

An official, leader of the sanctuary project, said the facility will mimic the mental engagement and nutrition the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|