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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable small “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a disagreement between a closed attraction, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned debate over their destiny often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who see them each day.

After the national authorities prevented the sale of the belugas to China, the controversial attraction near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to end their lives unless the authorities pays for the expense of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and group interactions point to they are deeply intelligent creatures – something one caretaker discovered personally.

She spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that involved earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the details and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She formed a deep bond for two female belugas with contrasting temperaments.

“Eve chose me. The other required effort,” she said. “They transformed the way I understand bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, died. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility links to expected lifespan, but which advocates say points to the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The park did not admit visitors to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the pools because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not reply to a inquiry, but earlier stated: “The whales … get far superior veterinary services and around the clock supervision than any human in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in recent months following the demise of a beluga, an ailing beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the facility thought information of the death were shared to the press and she was let go not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left her and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s threat to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any efforts to put down even a individual beluga would require “immense staff”, trucks and machinery.

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

Burgess supports demands for the whales to be taken right away from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In recent months, Canada’s government official rejected a request to transfer the whales to China.

“To approve the request would have meant a ongoing life in confinement and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals should be in the ocean, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience authorize an export that would prolong the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks indicate a wider lack of awareness of the circumstances of existence for belugas born in captivity.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a answer, proposals have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A proposed protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has proven highly debated. The future location, which includes a large area of protected cove, is not yet built. Supporters remain positive that it could in time represent a permanent answer for a number of the whales.

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

Some experts say the idea of a refuge reflects a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible solution in the near future.

An official, director of the sanctuary project, said the location will replicate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|