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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming little “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a struggle between a closed attraction, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the heated debate over their destiny often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been closely studied by the humans who see them each day.

After the federal government disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the government funds the upkeep of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and communal behavior suggest they are remarkably smart creatures – something Kristy Burgess discovered directly.

Burgess spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a job that involved building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She developed a special affection for two female belugas with contrasting temperaments.

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

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s connection with the whales evolved against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her tenure at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which activists say points to the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair 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 park did not respond to a request for comment, but previously stated: “The whales … get far higher quality veterinary services and constant supervision than any human in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the park in the spring following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the facility suspected details of the death were leaked to the press and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in distress. She says the facility’s warning to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “immense staff”, equipment and machinery.

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

Burgess advocates for demands for the whales to be removed promptly from the facility, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a request to export the whales to China.

“Allowing the application would have meant a continued life in captivity and a return to public entertainment,” the minister stated. “As the public, we know that belugas are meant for the sea, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience approve an relocation that would prolong the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s statements reflect a broader misunderstanding of the realities of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a solution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A planned protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which now received regulatory clearance, has shown to be highly debated. The planned location, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain hopeful that it could in time represent a long term answer for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the idea of a refuge indicates a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a viable solution in the near future.

An official, director of the plan, said the location will replicate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales get from trainers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|