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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable small “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a disagreement between a shuttered park, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense debate over their future often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the humans who see them each day.

After the federal government prevented the sale of the belugas to China, the embattled amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are kept stated it would consider to put them down unless the authorities funds the expense of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and communal behavior point to they are deeply intelligent animals – something Kristy Burgess observed personally.

She spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a position that required building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the subtleties and unique traits in their characters. She formed a deep bond for two female belugas with opposing temperaments.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They altered the way I view bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales progressed against a background of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, died. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park links to expected lifespan, but which advocates say points to the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not admit visitors to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is breaking off from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and navigate with pieces in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not comment to a request for comment, but previously asserted: “The whales … obtain far superior veterinary services and constant care than any human in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in the spring following the demise of a beluga, an sick beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the park thought particulars of the death were disclosed to the press and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in despair. She says the facility’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any efforts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “significant manpower”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess backs demands for the whales to be removed immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In late September, the nation’s government official rejected a proposal to send the whales to China.

“Allowing the application would have meant a ongoing situation in enclosure and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As society, we know that belugas are meant for the wild, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience permit an export that would prolong the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reveal a wider lack of awareness of the realities of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a solution, proposals have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which now received regulatory clearance, has been contentious. The planned location, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Supporters remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a long term solution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the idea of a sanctuary indicates a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a viable solution in the short term.

Charles Vinick, director of the sanctuary project, said the facility will simulate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|