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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable small “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a tussle between a closed attraction, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated discussion over their destiny often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the Canadian government blocked the export of the belugas to China, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are housed threatened to euthanize them unless the federal government funds the upkeep of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and social skills point to they are highly cognitive creatures – something Kristy Burgess observed first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a job that required building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the nuances and unique traits in their characters. She cultivated a particular love for a pair of whales with opposing temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. The other required effort,” she said. “Each changed the way I understand connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility attributes to age-related causes, but which advocates say indicates the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The facility did not operate to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly effects of the cessation. “Concrete is breaking off from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and move about with chunks in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not respond to a request for comment, but in the past claimed: “The whales … get far better medical attention and around the clock attention than any person in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in the spring following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the facility suspected information of the death were disclosed to the media and she was released not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the facility’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any plans to put down even a individual beluga would require “considerable manpower”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

She backs calls for the whales to be transferred promptly from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In late September, Canada’s government official denied a proposal to export the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the request would have meant a ongoing life in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As society, we know that belugas should be in the sea, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing permit an transfer that would prolong the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reflect a broader misunderstanding of the circumstances of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a answer, proposals have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A planned protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has shown to be contentious. The planned facility, which includes a large area of protected cove, is not yet built. Supporters remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a sustainable answer for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the idea of a protected habitat reflects a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a workable approach in the short term.

The project lead, director of the plan, said the site will replicate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales get from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|