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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable little “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a disagreement between a closed attraction, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the intense debate over their future often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the people who interact with them daily.

After the federal government disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are held threatened to end their lives unless the authorities pays for the upkeep of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that demand, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and communal behavior indicate they are remarkably smart mammals – something a former trainer discovered directly.

Burgess spent three years as a beluga trainer, a job that involved gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so surprised by the subtleties and unique traits in their characters. She cultivated a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting personalities.

“One whale selected me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They transformed the way I understand bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales developed against a context of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the park ascribes to age-related causes, but which advocates say indicates the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The facility did not operate to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly effects of the shutdown. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not reply to a questionnaire, but earlier stated: “The whales … receive far superior veterinary services and 24/7 care than any person in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in early March following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the employees had to put down. She said the facility believed particulars of the incident were shared to the media and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any efforts to put down even a one beluga would require “immense manpower”, equipment and machinery.

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

She advocates for demands for the whales to be taken right away from the park, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In late September, the nation’s government official turned down a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the application would have meant a perpetual life in confinement and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister stated. “As the public, we know that whales should be in the ocean, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in good conscience approve an transfer that would continue the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks reveal a broader misunderstanding of the realities of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers attempt to find a solution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A planned protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which has received regulatory clearance, has been highly debated. The prospective facility, which includes a large area of protected cove, is not yet built. Advocates remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a long term solution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the possibility of a protected habitat indicates a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible approach in the near future.

The project lead, head of the plan, said the facility will simulate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|