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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable little “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a disagreement between a defunct facility, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned debate over their destiny often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the people who work with them regularly.

After the federal government blocked the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near Niagara Falls where they are housed stated it would consider to put them down unless the federal government covers the upkeep of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and group interactions suggest they are deeply intelligent creatures – something one caretaker learned first-hand.

Burgess spent three years as a beluga trainer, a position that entailed earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so astounded by the details and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She formed a special affection for a pair of whales with opposing personalities.

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

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales developed against a context of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her time at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, died. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility attributes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say reflects the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The facility did not open to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the shutdown. “Structural materials is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a inquiry, but earlier asserted: “The whales … obtain far higher quality health care and 24/7 attention than any human in the Britain, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in early March following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the facility suspected information of the death were disclosed to the news outlets and she was released shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the facility’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any plans to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “immense manpower”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

She backs demands for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a proposal to send the whales to China.

“To approve the application would have meant a continued existence in captivity and a return to display for amusement,” the official wrote. “As the public, we know that belugas are meant for the ocean, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an relocation that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments reflect a more general incorrect perception of the realities of life for belugas born in captivity.

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

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a resolution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of food for Inuit communities.

A suggested protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received government approval, has shown to be contentious. The planned site, which includes extensive space of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a sustainable resolution for some of the whales.

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

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

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