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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute small “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a tussle between a defunct facility, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense debate over their future often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the humans who see them each day.

After the federal government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to end their lives unless the federal government pays for the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and communal behavior indicate they are highly cognitive mammals – something Kristy Burgess discovered first-hand.

She spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a role that required gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the subtleties and quirks in their personalities. She formed a special affection for two female belugas with opposing natures.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Each transformed the way I perceive connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

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 single killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the facility links to natural mortality, but which activists say points to the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The facility did not open to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and swim around with chunks in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not comment to a questionnaire, but previously claimed: “The whales … receive far higher quality health care and around the clock attention than any human in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in the spring following the demise of a beluga, an unwell beluga the employees had to put down. She said the facility suspected details of the incident were disclosed to the press and she was fired not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s threat to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any plans to euthanize even a single beluga would require “immense manpower”, equipment and machinery.

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

Burgess backs calls for the whales to be taken promptly from the park, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official rejected a bid to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the application would have meant a perpetual life in confinement and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official commented. “As Canadians, we know that whales belong in the sea, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience permit an transfer that would continue the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks indicate a broader incorrect perception of the facts of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers struggle to find a solution, proposals have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of nourishment for local populations.

A planned refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has shown to be most controversial. The planned facility, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain positive that it could in time represent a sustainable solution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the idea of a refuge represents a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible approach in the coming months.

An official, head of the initiative, said the location will simulate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|