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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a disagreement between a shuttered park, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense controversy over their future often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the people who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government blocked the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled attraction near Niagara Falls where they are held stated it would consider to end their lives unless the federal government pays for the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and group interactions suggest they are highly cognitive mammals – something Kristy Burgess learned personally.

Burgess spent three years as a beluga trainer, a job that required earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the nuances and unique traits in their personalities. She formed a special affection for two female belugas with contrasting natures.

“Eve accepted me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Each changed the way I understand connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her tenure at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, died. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility links to natural mortality, but which campaigners say points to the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not operate to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the cessation. “Concrete is breaking off from the pools because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and swim around with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not respond to a request for comment, but in the past claimed: “The whales … get far superior veterinary services and constant supervision than any person in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in the spring following the passing of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to put down. She said the facility believed details of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left her and other caretakers in anguish. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any attempts to put down even a individual beluga would require “significant personnel”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

She backs calls for the whales to be transferred right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official denied a bid to send the whales to China.

“To approve the request would have meant a continued existence in captivity and a return to display for amusement,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that whales belong in the wild, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience permit an relocation that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have endured.”

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

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials work to find a answer, proposals have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of food for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has been highly debated. The planned location, which includes a large area of protected cove, is not yet built. Advocates remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a permanent resolution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the possibility of a sanctuary reflects a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable plan in the coming months.

The project lead, leader of the sanctuary project, said the location will simulate the cognitive activities and diet the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|