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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable little “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a tussle between a closed attraction, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their fate often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities prevented the export of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near Niagara Falls where they are housed warned to end their lives unless the authorities pays for the upkeep of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and social skills point to they are remarkably smart animals – something Kristy Burgess observed first-hand.

She spent several years as a whale caretaker, a role that required earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the beginning, 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 rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so surprised by the details and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She developed a deep bond for two female belugas with contrasting personalities.

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

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s interaction with the whales evolved against a background of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, died. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the park ascribes to age-related causes, but which activists say points to the substandard environment in which they were kept.

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

The park did not comment to a inquiry, but in the past stated: “The whales … obtain far higher quality veterinary services and constant care than any individual in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in early March following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected particulars of the incident were leaked to the news outlets and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and other caretakers in anguish. She says the facility’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any plans to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “considerable staff”, equipment and machinery.

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

Burgess advocates for requests for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

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

“Granting the application would have meant a continued existence in enclosure and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that whales belong in the sea, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an export that would continue the situation these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks reveal a wider misunderstanding of the realities of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities attempt to find a resolution, ideas have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A suggested protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received regulatory clearance, has shown to be contentious. The prospective site, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a long term solution for eight of the whales.

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

Others say the idea of a protected habitat reflects a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a workable solution in the short term.

Charles Vinick, head of the sanctuary project, said the site will simulate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|