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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable small “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns 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 destiny often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the people who see them each day.

After the Canadian government blocked the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are held warned to end their lives unless the authorities pays for the cost of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that demand, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and group interactions indicate they are highly cognitive animals – something a former trainer discovered personally.

Burgess spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a role that required building relationships of the marine predators.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so astounded by the details and quirks in their personalities. She formed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. The other required effort,” she said. “Each transformed the way I perceive bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales evolved against a background of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, died. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park ascribes to natural mortality, but which activists say indicates the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The facility did not admit visitors to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is breaking off from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and move about with fragments in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a inquiry, but previously asserted: “The whales … get far higher quality veterinary services and constant attention than any person in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the park in the spring following the passing of Eos, an sick beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the park believed details of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was released soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any attempts to put down even a individual beluga would require “considerable personnel”, equipment and machinery.

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

She supports requests for the whales to be taken right away from the park, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official turned down a request to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the application would have meant a continued existence in enclosure and a return to display for amusement,” the minister commented. “As Canadians, we know that belugas are meant for the sea, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in good conscience approve an transfer that would continue the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s statements reveal a more general incorrect perception of the circumstances of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to understand 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 comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities work to find a solution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of food for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which now received official endorsement, has been highly debated. The prospective location, which includes a large area of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain hopeful that it could in time represent a long term solution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the possibility of a sanctuary represents a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a feasible solution in the short term.

An official, leader of the initiative, said the location will simulate the cognitive activities and diet the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|