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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute little “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a disagreement between a closed attraction, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those closest to 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 closely studied by the people who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government disallowed the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are housed threatened to put them down unless the authorities pays for the expense of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, problem solving and social skills indicate they are highly cognitive mammals – something Kristy Burgess learned first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a job that entailed gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She developed a particular love for a pair of whales with contrasting personalities.

“One whale chose me. The other required effort,” she said. “Each altered the way I understand connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales developed against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, died. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility attributes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say points to the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The park did not open to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand effects of the cessation. “Structural materials is falling apart from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and navigate with fragments in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not comment to a inquiry, but in the past stated: “The whales … receive far higher quality veterinary services and around the clock attention than any human in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in early March following the passing of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the facility believed information of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was fired soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left her and staff members in despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “significant manpower”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

She backs requests for the whales to be transferred immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a proposal to export the whales to China.

“To approve the application would have meant a perpetual situation in captivity and a return to display for amusement,” the minister commented. “As society, we know that marine mammals are meant for the ocean, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience permit an transfer that would continue the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks indicate a broader misunderstanding of the circumstances of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities work to find a resolution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of food for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has proven highly debated. The planned location, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain positive that it could eventually represent a permanent resolution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the idea of a sanctuary represents a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a viable plan in the short term.

An official, director of the initiative, said the site will replicate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|