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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable small “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a disagreement between a defunct facility, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense controversy over their fate often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the people who see them each day.

After the Canadian government blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are housed stated it would consider to end their lives unless the government funds the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that demand, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and social skills indicate they are remarkably smart mammals – something Kristy Burgess observed personally.

Burgess spent several years as a whale caretaker, a role that involved gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the nuances and unique traits in their dispositions. She formed a special affection for two female belugas with contrasting temperaments.

“One whale chose me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Each changed the way I view connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales progressed against a context of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her three years at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park attributes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say indicates the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The facility did not admit visitors to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the shutdown. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not comment to a inquiry, but in the past claimed: “The whales … receive far better medical attention and 24/7 care than any person in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the park in early March following the passing of Eos, an unwell beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the park thought particulars of the death were leaked to the media and she was released not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “considerable personnel”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess supports demands for the whales to be transferred promptly from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

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

“To approve the application would have meant a perpetual situation in confinement and a return to display for amusement,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that whales are meant for the wild, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing approve an export that would continue the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements indicate a wider misunderstanding of the facts of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely 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 easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers work to find a solution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which has received regulatory clearance, has proven highly debated. The future facility, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a permanent solution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the idea of a refuge indicates a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible approach in the near future.

An official, director of the initiative, said the facility will simulate the mental engagement and diet the whales get from trainers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|