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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a tussle between a closed attraction, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated controversy over their future often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the people who work with them regularly.

After the federal government disallowed the sale of the belugas to China, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are held warned to euthanize them unless the authorities covers the cost of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and communal behavior point to they are remarkably smart mammals – something a former trainer observed personally.

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

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She developed a particular love for two female belugas with different natures.

“One whale selected me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “They transformed the way I perceive bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales progressed against a context of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her time at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, died. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the park attributes to age-related causes, but which activists say points to the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The park did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand effects of the closure. “Concrete is breaking off from the pools because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and swim around with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not respond to a request for comment, but previously claimed: “The whales … get far better health care and constant care than any human in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in early March following the passing of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park thought details of the incident were leaked to the media and she was fired soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left her and other caretakers in distress. She says the facility’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “immense manpower”, equipment and machinery.

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

Burgess advocates for calls for the whales to be taken promptly from the park, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a request to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the application would have meant a continued life in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As the public, we know that belugas are meant for the ocean, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing permit an export that would prolong the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reveal a wider incorrect perception of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials struggle to find a resolution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A proposed refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which now received regulatory clearance, has shown to be contentious. The future location, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain positive that it could ultimately represent a long term solution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the idea of a protected habitat reflects a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a workable plan in the short term.

Charles Vinick, director of the initiative, said the site will simulate the mental engagement and diet the whales get from trainers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|