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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a tussle between a defunct facility, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated controversy over their future often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the humans who see them each day.

After the national authorities disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling facility near Niagara Falls where they are held threatened to end their lives unless the government pays for the upkeep of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and group interactions suggest they are deeply intelligent animals – something Kristy Burgess discovered first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a role that involved gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so surprised by the details and unique traits in their characters. She developed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting personalities.

“One whale accepted me. The other demanded work,” she said. “They altered the way I understand relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her three years at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility ascribes to age-related causes, but which activists say points to the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not operate to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes effects of the closure. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the pools because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and navigate with pieces in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not comment to a inquiry, but earlier stated: “The whales … receive far higher quality health care and 24/7 attention than any individual in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in the spring following the passing of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility believed details of the incident were leaked to the news outlets and she was released not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and other caretakers in anguish. She says the facility’s warning to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any efforts to put down even a individual beluga would require “considerable personnel”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess backs requests for the whales to be removed right away from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a ongoing existence in enclosure and a return to display for amusement,” the minister commented. “As society, we know that whales belong in the sea, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience authorize an relocation that would prolong the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements reflect a more general misunderstanding of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers struggle to find a solution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A suggested sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has shown to be most controversial. The prospective site, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Proponents remain optimistic that it could in time represent a sustainable resolution for a number of the whales.

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

Different voices say the idea of a protected habitat indicates a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible plan in the coming months.

An official, director of the plan, said the site will replicate the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|