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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute small “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a struggle between a defunct facility, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned debate over their fate often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been carefully observed by the people who see them each day.

After the federal government blocked the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to put them down unless the federal government covers the expense of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and social skills point to they are highly cognitive animals – something Kristy Burgess discovered first-hand.

Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a position that required earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Developing those bonds 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 reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so amazed by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She developed a special affection for two female belugas with contrasting natures.

“Eve accepted me. The other required effort,” she said. “Both altered the way I understand relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, died. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the park ascribes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say indicates the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The facility did not operate to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the cessation. “Structural materials is breaking off from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and swim around with fragments in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not comment to a questionnaire, but earlier claimed: “The whales … obtain far higher quality health care and 24/7 care than any human in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in recent months following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility thought details of the incident were disclosed to the press and she was fired soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any plans to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “significant manpower”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess advocates for requests for the whales to be removed immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a bid to transfer the whales to China.

“Allowing the application would have meant a continued situation in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that whales belong in the sea, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an relocation that would prolong the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments indicate a more general incorrect perception of the realities of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers work to find a solution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of food for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received official endorsement, has shown to be highly debated. The prospective location, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Proponents remain positive that it could in time represent a long term answer for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the possibility of a protected habitat reflects a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable plan in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, leader of the initiative, said the facility will replicate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|