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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable little “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a struggle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated debate over their future often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are kept warned to end their lives unless the authorities covers the expense of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and group interactions indicate they are highly cognitive animals – something a former trainer learned personally.

She spent several years as a whale caretaker, a role that involved building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the beginning, 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 magical and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so amazed by the nuances and quirks in their characters. She developed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting personalities.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Both altered the way I understand connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales progressed against a context of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, died. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the park attributes to age-related causes, but which advocates say indicates the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The facility did not admit visitors to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and move about with fragments in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but previously asserted: “The whales … receive far higher quality medical attention and constant supervision than any human in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the park in early March following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the facility believed details of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was released soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess 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 “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any plans to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “significant manpower”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess supports calls for the whales to be transferred immediately from the park, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In recent months, Canada’s government official turned down a request to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the application would have meant a perpetual situation in confinement and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that belugas should be in the ocean, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience permit an transfer that would continue the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s statements indicate a more general misunderstanding of the facts of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities attempt to find a solution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of food for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received official endorsement, has proven highly debated. The future facility, which includes a large area of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain positive that it could in time represent a permanent resolution for some of the whales.

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

Different voices say the possibility of a protected habitat reflects a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable approach in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, director of the initiative, said the location will replicate the mental engagement and diet the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|