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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable small “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a disagreement between a defunct facility, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the heated discussion over their fate often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities prevented the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are housed warned to put them down unless the federal government covers the expense of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that request, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and social skills indicate they are highly cognitive creatures – something a former trainer learned directly.

She spent three years as a whale caretaker, a position that involved building relationships of the sea creatures.

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

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so amazed by the subtleties and quirks in their characters. She developed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing temperaments.

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

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales developed against a background of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, died. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility ascribes to age-related causes, but which advocates say indicates the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The facility did not operate to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer 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 pick it up and move about with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not comment to a questionnaire, but earlier stated: “The whales … get far superior medical attention and 24/7 care than any person in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the park in recent months following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the facility thought details of the death were leaked to the press and she was fired not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in distress. She says the park’s threat to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any efforts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “immense manpower”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

She advocates for calls for the whales to be taken right away from the facility, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In recent months, the nation’s government official turned down a request to send the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a continued existence in captivity and a return to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As society, we know that marine mammals are meant for the wild, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience approve an relocation that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments indicate a wider incorrect perception of the realities of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a solution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which now received official endorsement, has been highly debated. The future location, which includes a large area of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain hopeful that it could in time represent a long term solution for eight of the whales.

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

Others say the possibility of a protected habitat reflects a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible solution in the near future.

Charles Vinick, director of the sanctuary project, said the facility will simulate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|