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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming little “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a disagreement between a closed attraction, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated debate over their future often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the humans who see them each day.

After the national authorities blocked the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling facility near the famous falls where they are housed stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the federal government pays for the upkeep of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and group interactions suggest they are deeply intelligent mammals – something Kristy Burgess learned first-hand.

She spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that entailed building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the nuances and unique traits in their personalities. She formed a particular love for a pair of whales with opposing personalities.

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

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales developed against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her time at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, died. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park ascribes to natural mortality, but which advocates say indicates the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes results of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and navigate with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but previously stated: “The whales … obtain far superior medical attention and around the clock supervision than any person in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in the spring following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected details of the death were leaked to the news outlets and she was let go not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left her and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “considerable personnel”, trucks and machinery.

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

She backs calls for the whales to be taken right away from the park, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a bid to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the application would have meant a ongoing situation in enclosure and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official wrote. “As society, we know that whales are meant for the sea, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience authorize an relocation that would prolong the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments indicate a more general misunderstanding of the realities of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in captivity 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 easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a solution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for local populations.

A suggested sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received regulatory clearance, has proven highly debated. The future location, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Advocates remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a permanent solution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the idea of a protected habitat indicates a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable plan in the near future.

Charles Vinick, leader of the initiative, said the location will mimic the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales get from specialists, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|