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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable small “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a struggle between a shuttered park, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their destiny often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the federal government blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are held stated it would consider to put them down unless the federal government funds the cost of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and group interactions indicate they are remarkably smart mammals – something Kristy Burgess learned personally.

She spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that involved building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those relationships 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 shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so amazed by the nuances and quirks in their personalities. She formed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with different temperaments.

“One whale accepted me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Both transformed the way I perceive relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales progressed against a context of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her tenure at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility ascribes to age-related causes, but which activists say reflects the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the cessation. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not respond to a inquiry, but previously asserted: “The whales … receive far superior veterinary services and constant care than any person in the UK, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the park in recent months following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the facility believed information of the death were leaked to the media and she was fired soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “considerable staff”, equipment and machinery.

“There’s no way in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

She advocates for demands for the whales to be transferred immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

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

“Granting the request would have meant a continued situation in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister stated. “As society, we know that belugas should be in the ocean, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in good conscience permit an relocation that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks indicate a broader lack of awareness of the facts of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely 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 straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers struggle to find a resolution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of food for Inuit communities.

A suggested protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which has received regulatory clearance, has been most controversial. The future location, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain hopeful that it could in time represent a sustainable solution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Others say the possibility of a sanctuary reflects a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a workable approach in the short term.

The project lead, head of the initiative, said the site will mimic the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|