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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a tussle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned debate over their future often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the federal government disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are housed warned to euthanize them unless the government covers the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and group interactions indicate they are remarkably smart mammals – something Kristy Burgess observed directly.

She spent three years as a whale caretaker, a role that involved earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so amazed by the details and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She developed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with different temperaments.

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

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

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

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility links to natural mortality, but which campaigners say indicates the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The facility did not operate to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the cessation. “Structural materials is falling apart from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and move about with pieces in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a request for comment, but earlier asserted: “The whales … obtain far higher quality health care and around the clock supervision than any individual in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in recent months following the passing of Eos, an unwell beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the facility thought details of the death were leaked to the media and she was released shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in despair. She says the facility’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any attempts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “considerable staff”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

Burgess advocates for requests for the whales to be removed immediately from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In late September, Canada’s government official denied a proposal to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a continued life in captivity and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that belugas should be in the wild, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience approve an transfer that would prolong the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments indicate a more general incorrect perception of the circumstances of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials struggle to find a resolution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. 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 Indigenous peoples.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has shown to be most controversial. The planned location, which includes extensive space of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a sustainable answer for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the prospect of a protected habitat represents a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible plan in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, leader of the sanctuary project, said the facility will replicate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|