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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute little “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a struggle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned discussion over their fate often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the people who interact with them daily.

After the federal government blocked the transfer of the belugas to China, the controversial attraction near Niagara Falls where they are housed threatened to put them down unless the government pays for the expense of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and communal behavior suggest they are deeply intelligent mammals – something a former trainer learned first-hand.

Burgess spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that required gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the subtleties and quirks in their dispositions. She cultivated a special affection for a pair of whales with opposing natures.

“One whale selected me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Each changed the way I understand relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales progressed against a background of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the park ascribes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say reflects the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The facility did not admit visitors to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly consequences of the cessation. “Concrete is breaking off from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and swim around with fragments in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but previously stated: “The whales … get far higher quality medical attention and around the clock supervision than any individual in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in the spring following the demise of Eos, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park believed particulars of the incident were leaked to the press and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in despair. She says the park’s threat to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any efforts to put down even a individual beluga would require “considerable personnel”, vehicles and machinery.

“There’s no way 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 failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a request to send the whales to China.

“Granting the request would have meant a ongoing situation in confinement and a return to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As Canadians, we know that whales are meant for the sea, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience permit an transfer that would prolong the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

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

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities work to find a answer, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for local populations.

A planned refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has been most controversial. The future location, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Supporters remain positive that it could ultimately represent a permanent answer for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the prospect of a protected habitat indicates a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a feasible plan in the short term.

An official, director of the sanctuary project, said the facility will replicate the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|