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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming small “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a struggle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated discussion over their fate often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who see them each day.

After the Canadian government prevented the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling attraction near the famous falls where they are held warned to end their lives unless the federal government funds the upkeep of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and communal behavior suggest they are highly cognitive mammals – something Kristy Burgess discovered personally.

Burgess spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that required earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the nuances and quirks in their dispositions. She cultivated a particular love for a pair of whales with contrasting personalities.

“One whale selected me. The other required effort,” she said. “They changed the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s interaction with the whales developed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her three years at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, died. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility attributes to natural mortality, but which advocates say reflects the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The facility did not open to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand effects of the shutdown. “Concrete is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and move about with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not respond to a request for comment, but previously asserted: “The whales … receive far better health care and 24/7 attention than any person in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in early March following the passing of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the facility thought particulars of the incident were leaked to the news outlets and she was released shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in distress. She says the park’s threat to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any attempts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “significant personnel”, trucks and machinery.

“It’s impossible in hell the staff would ever do it,” she said.

She advocates for demands for the whales to be transferred immediately from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a request to transfer the whales to China.

“To approve the application would have meant a continued life in enclosure and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that marine mammals belong in the ocean, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing permit an relocation that would continue the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments indicate a more general misunderstanding of the facts of life for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a resolution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A proposed sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has proven most controversial. The prospective location, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Advocates remain positive that it could ultimately represent a permanent resolution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the idea of a protected habitat represents a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a viable solution in the short term.

Charles Vinick, leader of the initiative, said the facility will simulate the mental engagement and diet the whales get from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|