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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute little “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a tussle between a defunct facility, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the heated debate over their fate often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the people who work with them regularly.

After the federal government prevented the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are housed stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the government pays for the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, problem solving and social skills suggest they are deeply intelligent creatures – something a former trainer observed directly.

Burgess spent several years as a whale caretaker, a position that involved earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very wary 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.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so astounded by the details and quirks in their personalities. She developed a special affection for two female belugas with opposing temperaments.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “They changed the way I perceive connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales progressed against a context of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park ascribes to natural mortality, but which advocates say points to the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not open to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand effects of the cessation. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and navigate with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but earlier asserted: “The whales … receive far better medical attention and constant supervision than any individual in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in the spring following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the facility thought information of the death were disclosed to the media and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left her and current and former trainers in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any attempts to put down even a individual beluga would require “significant manpower”, vehicles and machinery.

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

She supports demands for the whales to be transferred promptly from the facility, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a proposal to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the application would have meant a continued situation in confinement and a return to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As Canadians, we know that belugas belong in the ocean, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in good conscience permit an export that would prolong the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reflect a wider incorrect perception of the realities of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a resolution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A planned refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received official endorsement, has been most controversial. The future facility, which includes extensive space of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain positive that it could in time represent a long term resolution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the possibility of a sanctuary indicates a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a workable approach in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, director of the sanctuary project, said the site will simulate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|