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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable small “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a struggle between a defunct facility, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned controversy over their future often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who see them each day.

After the federal government disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are held threatened to put them down unless the authorities pays for the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and social skills indicate they are remarkably smart animals – something one caretaker discovered personally.

She spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a position that required gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She cultivated a particular love for two female belugas with opposing personalities.

“Eve selected me. The other required effort,” she said. “They altered the way I understand relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales developed against a context of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her three years at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, died. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility ascribes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say reflects the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly consequences of the cessation. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and swim around with chunks in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not respond to a questionnaire, but earlier claimed: “The whales … receive far better health care and around the clock care than any person in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an sick beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park believed information of the death were leaked to the news outlets and she was released soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any plans to put down even a single beluga would require “immense staff”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

She supports calls for the whales to be transferred right away from the facility, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In late September, the nation’s government official rejected a proposal to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a perpetual existence in confinement and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that whales should be in the wild, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience authorize an relocation that would prolong the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reflect a broader misunderstanding of the realities of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

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

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities struggle to find a solution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received government approval, has shown to be highly debated. The prospective facility, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Advocates remain positive that it could eventually represent a permanent answer for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the prospect of a sanctuary represents a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible plan in the near future.

The project lead, director of the plan, said the facility will mimic the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|