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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming small “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a disagreement between a defunct facility, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated debate over their future often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the humans who see them each day.

After the federal government blocked the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling facility near Niagara Falls where they are housed threatened to end their lives unless the authorities covers the cost of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, problem solving and communal behavior indicate they are remarkably smart mammals – something one caretaker observed directly.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a role that involved earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the details and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She cultivated a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing temperaments.

“Eve selected me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They transformed the way I perceive relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales progressed against a background of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her tenure at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility links to natural mortality, but which advocates say reflects the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The park did not admit visitors to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer 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 inquisitive and so they pick it up and swim around with pieces in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not respond to a inquiry, but earlier asserted: “The whales … get far better veterinary services and constant care than any person in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in the spring following the demise of Eos, an ailing beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility believed particulars of the death were shared to the press and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left her and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any plans to put down even a single beluga would require “considerable staff”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

Burgess supports calls for the whales to be removed right away from the park, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a proposal to send the whales to China.

“To approve the application would have meant a continued situation in captivity and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that belugas are meant for the wild, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing permit an export that would continue the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements indicate a broader misunderstanding of the facts of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people 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. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a resolution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a key source of food for Inuit communities.

A suggested protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received official endorsement, has shown to be highly debated. The future location, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a long term solution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the idea of a protected habitat represents a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a viable approach in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, leader of the initiative, said the location will simulate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|