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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a disagreement between a defunct facility, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated controversy over their future often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been closely studied by the people who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities disallowed the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near Niagara Falls where they are housed stated it would consider to end their lives unless the authorities funds the expense of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that request, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and social skills suggest they are deeply intelligent mammals – something Kristy Burgess learned first-hand.

Burgess spent several years as a whale caretaker, a job that entailed earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the beginning, 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 extraordinary and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so amazed by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She developed a deep bond for two female belugas with contrasting personalities.

“One whale selected me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Both transformed the way I perceive bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales progressed against a context of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her three years at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the facility links to expected lifespan, but which activists say indicates the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The park did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand results of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and move about with fragments in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not reply to a request for comment, but in the past claimed: “The whales … get far higher quality veterinary services and around the clock attention than any individual in the Britain, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in recent months following the passing of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the facility believed particulars of the death were leaked to the media and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any plans to put down even a individual beluga would require “immense manpower”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

She advocates for requests for the whales to be removed promptly from the facility, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a bid to send the whales to China.

“Allowing the application would have meant a perpetual existence in confinement and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that whales are meant for the sea, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an relocation that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks reflect a more general incorrect perception of the facts of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

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

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As authorities work to find a solution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for local populations.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received regulatory clearance, has proven most controversial. The future site, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Proponents remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a long term answer for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the idea of a sanctuary reflects a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a viable approach in the short term.

An official, leader of the initiative, said the facility will mimic the mental engagement and diet the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|