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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable small “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a disagreement between a shuttered park, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the intense debate over their fate often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities disallowed the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling attraction near Niagara Falls where they are held warned to euthanize them unless the government funds the upkeep of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and group interactions point to they are highly cognitive creatures – something a former trainer discovered personally.

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

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the details and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She developed a special affection for two female belugas with opposing natures.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Each transformed the way I perceive relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales evolved against a background of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her tenure at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the facility ascribes to age-related causes, but which advocates say points to the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The facility did not operate to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the cessation. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the pools because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are curious 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 in the past asserted: “The whales … receive far superior veterinary services and 24/7 attention than any individual in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in the spring following the death of Eos, an sick beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park believed details of the death were shared to the news outlets and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left her and other caretakers in anguish. She says the park’s threat to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “significant staff”, equipment and machinery.

“There’s no way in hell the caretakers would ever do it,” she said.

She backs requests for the whales to be removed right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In recent months, the nation’s government official rejected a bid to send the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a perpetual situation in captivity and a return to display for amusement,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that whales belong in the sea, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing permit an transfer that would continue the situation these belugas have suffered.”

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

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As authorities struggle to find a solution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A suggested protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has shown to be highly debated. The future site, which includes extensive space of protected cove, is not yet built. Advocates remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a permanent solution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the prospect of a refuge reflects a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable approach in the coming months.

The project lead, leader of the initiative, said the location will replicate the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|