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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an charming little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a tussle between a closed attraction, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated controversy over their fate often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the people who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government prevented the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial attraction near Niagara Falls where they are held threatened to euthanize them unless the authorities pays for the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and group interactions suggest they are deeply intelligent mammals – something Kristy Burgess learned personally.

She spent several years as a beluga trainer, a position that involved building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the beginning, 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 wonderful and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the details and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She cultivated a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with different temperaments.

“One whale selected me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “They transformed the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales developed against a context of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her time at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility attributes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say reflects the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The park did not open to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand effects of the shutdown. “Structural materials is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and move about with fragments in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not comment to a inquiry, but in the past asserted: “The whales … get far superior medical attention and 24/7 supervision than any human in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in recent months following the demise of Eos, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the park suspected particulars of the death were disclosed to the news outlets and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and current and former trainers in despair. She says the park’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any plans to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “immense manpower”, equipment and machinery.

“It cannot happen in hell the staff would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess supports demands for the whales to be taken right away from the park, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a request to transfer the whales to China.

“Allowing the application would have meant a perpetual existence in captivity and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister commented. “As society, we know that whales belong in the wild, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience approve an relocation that would continue the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements reflect a more general lack of awareness of the facts of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a solution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A planned protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has shown to be highly debated. The planned facility, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a long term answer for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Others say the possibility of a sanctuary indicates a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable plan in the near future.

Charles Vinick, leader of the plan, said the facility will mimic the cognitive activities and diet the whales get from trainers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|