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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a tussle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the intense debate over their fate often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the people who see them each day.

After the Canadian government prevented the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are held threatened to end their lives unless the authorities funds the expense of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that demand, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and communal behavior indicate they are highly cognitive mammals – something Kristy Burgess observed directly.

Burgess spent three years as a beluga trainer, a job that required building relationships of the marine predators.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the details and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She developed a particular love for two female belugas with opposing temperaments.

“One whale chose me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “They transformed the way I view relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales developed against a context of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her time at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the park attributes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say reflects the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the cessation. “Concrete is breaking off from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and swim around with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not reply to a request for comment, but in the past asserted: “The whales … obtain far higher quality medical attention and 24/7 care than any individual in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility thought information of the incident were leaked to the press and she was let go soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and other caretakers in despair. She says the park’s threat to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any plans to euthanize even a one beluga would require “significant staff”, equipment and specialized tools.

“There’s no way in hell the caretakers would ever do it,” she said.

She backs requests for the whales to be removed right away from the park, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a bid to send the whales to China.

“To approve the application would have meant a continued life in enclosure and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that whales should be in the wild, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an transfer that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements reflect a wider lack of awareness of the realities of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As authorities struggle to find a solution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a key source of food for Inuit communities.

A suggested protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has proven highly debated. The future site, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain positive that it could ultimately represent a permanent resolution for eight of the whales.

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

Different voices say the possibility of a protected habitat represents a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a feasible solution in the near future.

The project lead, head of the plan, said the facility will replicate the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|