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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute little “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a disagreement between a closed attraction, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the heated debate over their destiny often overlooks the complexities 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 transfer of the belugas to China, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are held warned to put them down unless the federal government funds the expense of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that demand, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and group interactions point to they are highly cognitive creatures – something Kristy Burgess learned directly.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a position that required building relationships of the marine predators.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the details and quirks in their personalities. She developed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with different temperaments.

“Eve chose me. The other required effort,” she said. “Each altered the way I view connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales progressed against a context of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her tenure at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, died. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the facility ascribes to age-related causes, but which advocates say points to the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The facility did not open to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the shutdown. “Structural materials is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not respond to a inquiry, but in the past stated: “The whales … obtain far superior veterinary services and 24/7 supervision than any person in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an sick beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the park suspected information of the death were shared to the media and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the facility’s warning to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any plans to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “immense personnel”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

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

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a proposal to export the whales to China.

“Granting the request would have meant a perpetual life in enclosure and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that belugas are meant for the sea, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing authorize an transfer that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments reveal a more general misunderstanding of the realities of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials struggle to find a solution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has been most controversial. The planned facility, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Advocates remain positive that it could ultimately represent a long term answer for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the idea of a protected habitat represents a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a workable solution in the short term.

An official, leader of the plan, said the site will replicate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|