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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a disagreement between a shuttered park, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned debate over their future often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are kept warned to end their lives unless the government covers the expense of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, problem solving and communal behavior point to they are highly cognitive creatures – something Kristy Burgess learned first-hand.

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

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so surprised by the subtleties and quirks in their personalities. She developed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting temperaments.

“One whale selected me. The other required effort,” she said. “Both transformed the way I understand bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales evolved against a background of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her time at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the park links to age-related causes, but which campaigners say reflects the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the closure. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and move about with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not comment to a inquiry, but in the past stated: “The whales … obtain far superior medical attention and constant care than any person in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in the spring following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility thought details of the death were disclosed to the news outlets and she was released not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s threat to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any plans to euthanize even a single beluga would require “significant staff”, equipment and machinery.

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

Burgess backs requests for the whales to be removed promptly from the facility, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In late September, Canada’s government official rejected a bid to transfer the whales to China.

“Granting the request would have meant a ongoing existence in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that belugas belong in the ocean, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an transfer that would prolong the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reveal a more general lack of awareness of the facts of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a solution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A proposed protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received government approval, has been most controversial. The planned location, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Proponents remain positive that it could eventually represent a permanent solution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Others say the idea of a sanctuary reflects a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible approach in the near future.

An official, leader of the sanctuary project, said the site will replicate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales get from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|