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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute small “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a tussle between a shuttered park, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense controversy over their destiny often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the federal government disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled attraction near Niagara Falls where they are housed warned to put them down unless the government pays for the upkeep of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and communal behavior point to they are highly cognitive creatures – something one caretaker observed directly.

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

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She cultivated a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing personalities.

“Eve selected me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Each transformed the way I perceive relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales progressed against a background of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her three years at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the park links to expected lifespan, but which advocates say reflects the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The facility did not operate to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and navigate with fragments in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not respond to a inquiry, but previously asserted: “The whales … get far better medical attention and constant attention than any individual in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility thought information of the incident were leaked to the press and she was released not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and current and former trainers in despair. She says the park’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any plans to euthanize even a single beluga would require “considerable personnel”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

Burgess supports demands for the whales to be transferred promptly from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a proposal to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the application would have meant a ongoing situation in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that whales belong in the ocean, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing approve an transfer that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reveal a more general misunderstanding of the circumstances of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As authorities struggle to find a resolution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A proposed refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has been highly debated. The future location, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain positive that it could ultimately represent a permanent answer for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the possibility of a sanctuary indicates a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable plan in the near future.

The project lead, head of the sanctuary project, said the facility will simulate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|