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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute small “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a disagreement between a shuttered park, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the heated debate over their fate often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities disallowed the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are kept warned to put them down unless the government covers the cost of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that demand, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and social skills suggest they are deeply intelligent creatures – something a former trainer learned first-hand.

She spent several years as a whale caretaker, a role that involved building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She developed a special affection for a pair of whales with different temperaments.

“One whale selected me. The other required effort,” she said. “Both altered the way I understand relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her time at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility links to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say points to the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The park did not open to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and navigate with pieces in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not respond to a inquiry, but in the past stated: “The whales … obtain far better veterinary services and constant attention than any person in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the park in recent months following the demise of a beluga, an ailing beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the park believed particulars of the death were leaked to the media and she was released shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left her and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any plans to put down even a single beluga would require “significant staff”, vehicles 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 removed right away from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a bid to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the request would have meant a continued situation in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals should be in the sea, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing approve an transfer that would continue the situation these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks reveal a more general incorrect perception of the circumstances of existence for belugas born in captivity.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a resolution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A proposed protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has proven contentious. The future location, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain positive that it could ultimately represent a permanent answer for some of the whales.

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

Others say the possibility of a protected habitat indicates a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible approach in the near future.

The project lead, leader of the sanctuary project, said the facility will mimic the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|