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

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a disagreement between a shuttered park, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated discussion over their fate often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government blocked the export of the belugas to China, the controversial amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to end their lives unless the federal government pays for the expense of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and communal behavior suggest they are highly cognitive creatures – something Kristy Burgess learned directly.

Burgess spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a role that entailed gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so amazed by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She cultivated a deep bond for a pair of whales with opposing personalities.

“Eve chose me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Each changed the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s interaction with the whales developed against a background of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, died. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the facility links to age-related causes, but which campaigners say points to the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The facility did not open to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand results of the cessation. “Structural materials is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and navigate with pieces in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a request for comment, but previously claimed: “The whales … get far higher quality health care and constant care than any person in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the park in the spring following the demise of a beluga, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility thought details of the death were shared to the news outlets and she was fired not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in anguish. She says the facility’s threat to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any attempts to put down even a one beluga would require “immense personnel”, trucks and specialized tools.

“It’s impossible in hell the caretakers would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess backs calls for the whales to be transferred promptly from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

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

“Granting the request would have meant a continued situation in confinement and a return to display for amusement,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that whales should be in the sea, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an export that would continue the situation these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reflect a wider misunderstanding of the realities of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a answer, ideas have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which now received official endorsement, has proven highly debated. The prospective facility, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Proponents remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a long term resolution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Others say the possibility of a refuge indicates a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible approach in the short term.

The project lead, director of the initiative, said the facility will simulate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|