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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a tussle between a defunct facility, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated debate over their future often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been carefully observed by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government prevented the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled attraction near Niagara Falls where they are housed warned to end their lives unless the authorities covers the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and communal behavior indicate they are remarkably smart animals – something Kristy Burgess discovered directly.

Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a job that involved building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the beginning, 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 magical and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the details and unique traits in their characters. She formed a special affection for a pair of whales with different natures.

“One whale accepted me. The other demanded work,” she said. “They altered the way I perceive bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her time at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the park links to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say points to the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The facility did not open to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the shutdown. “Concrete is breaking off from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not respond to a questionnaire, but in the past stated: “The whales … obtain far higher quality medical attention and around the clock supervision than any person in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in early March following the passing of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected details of the death were disclosed to the media and she was released not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any efforts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “significant personnel”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess advocates for calls for the whales to be taken promptly from the park, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a request to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the request would have meant a continued existence in enclosure and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official stated. “As society, we know that belugas belong in the sea, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience permit an relocation that would prolong the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments reveal a wider incorrect perception of the circumstances of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials attempt to find a solution, proposals have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received regulatory clearance, has proven contentious. The planned site, which includes a large area of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain positive that it could in time represent a long term solution for a number of the whales.

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

Some experts say the prospect of a refuge indicates a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a viable solution in the coming months.

The project lead, leader of the initiative, said the site will simulate the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|