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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable small “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a struggle between a shuttered park, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated debate over their future often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been closely studied by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the federal government disallowed the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial attraction near Niagara Falls where they are kept stated it would consider to put them down unless the federal government covers the expense of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that demand, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and social skills indicate they are remarkably smart animals – something a former trainer discovered first-hand.

Burgess spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that involved building relationships of the marine predators.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the nuances and unique traits in their personalities. She developed a particular love for two female belugas with opposing personalities.

“Eve selected me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They altered the way I understand relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales progressed against a context of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her three years at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility links to natural mortality, but which campaigners say indicates the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The park did not operate to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the shutdown. “Concrete is falling apart from the tanks 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 jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not comment to a inquiry, but in the past stated: “The whales … get far superior veterinary services and constant care than any individual in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in the spring following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the facility thought information of the death were disclosed to the news outlets and she was released not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s warning to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any attempts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “immense manpower”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

“It cannot happen in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess supports demands for the whales to be taken right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a request to send the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a perpetual existence in captivity and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister commented. “As society, we know that whales are meant for the wild, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing permit an export that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have suffered.”

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

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities attempt to find a solution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for local populations.

A proposed refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which now received government approval, has shown to be highly debated. The future facility, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Supporters remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a long term answer for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the prospect of a sanctuary reflects a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible approach in the short term.

An official, leader of the plan, said the location will simulate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales get from specialists, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|