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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable little “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a disagreement between a defunct facility, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their future often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities disallowed the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are held warned to put them down unless the authorities covers the cost of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and social skills indicate they are remarkably smart mammals – something a former trainer discovered first-hand.

She spent several years as a whale caretaker, a job that involved gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so surprised by the details and quirks in their dispositions. She developed a deep bond for a pair of whales with contrasting natures.

“One whale selected me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “They altered the way I understand relationships.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s relationship with the whales evolved against a background of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her tenure at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have died 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 maintained.

The park did not admit visitors to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the cessation. “Concrete is falling apart from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not comment to a questionnaire, but earlier claimed: “The whales … obtain far better health care and around the clock supervision than any individual in the UK, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in early March following the demise of a beluga, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the park thought particulars of the death were leaked to the press and she was fired soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any attempts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “immense staff”, vehicles and machinery.

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

She backs demands for the whales to be taken right away from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

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

“Granting the request would have meant a continued situation in confinement and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister stated. “As the public, we know that whales should be in the ocean, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience permit an relocation that would prolong the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements indicate a broader misunderstanding of the circumstances of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As authorities work to find a resolution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of food for local populations.

A planned sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received government approval, has proven highly debated. The planned site, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a sustainable resolution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ future.

Others say the idea of a refuge indicates a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable plan in the near future.

The project lead, director of the initiative, said the location will replicate the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales get from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|