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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute small “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a tussle between a defunct facility, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned debate over their destiny often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who see them each day.

After the national authorities prevented the transfer of the belugas to China, the controversial attraction near Niagara Falls where they are kept warned to euthanize them unless the authorities covers the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and social skills suggest they are highly cognitive animals – something one caretaker discovered first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a position that entailed earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the details and quirks in their personalities. She cultivated a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing temperaments.

“One whale chose me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Each changed the way I view bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales progressed against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her time at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the park links to natural mortality, but which campaigners say points to the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not operate to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the shutdown. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not reply to a request for comment, but earlier asserted: “The whales … get far higher quality veterinary services and around the clock care than any person in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in the spring following the death of Eos, an sick beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the facility thought information of the incident were shared to the media and she was fired not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s threat to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “significant staff”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

She advocates for calls for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

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

“Granting the proposal would have meant a perpetual existence in enclosure and a return to display for amusement,” the minister stated. “As society, we know that whales are meant for the sea, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing approve an export that would continue the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements reveal a more general incorrect perception of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities work to find a solution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A proposed sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has proven most controversial. The planned location, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain positive that it could ultimately represent a long term resolution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the possibility of a sanctuary represents a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible plan in the near future.

An official, director of the initiative, said the location will mimic the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|