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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming little “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a struggle between a shuttered park, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the heated controversy over their future often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the people who interact with them daily.

After the federal government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled attraction near Niagara Falls where they are held stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the authorities covers the upkeep of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, problem solving and communal behavior suggest they are highly cognitive creatures – something one caretaker discovered first-hand.

She spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a role that required earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Building up those connections 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 reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the details and unique traits in their dispositions. She cultivated a particular love for a pair of whales with contrasting temperaments.

“One whale selected me. The other demanded work,” she said. “They changed the way I view connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales evolved against a context of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, died. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park ascribes to age-related causes, but which advocates say points to the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not operate to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and swim around with pieces in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not respond to a questionnaire, but in the past asserted: “The whales … receive far higher quality health care and constant supervision than any human in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected details of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was released shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in distress. She says the facility’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any efforts to put down even a single beluga would require “considerable staff”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

Burgess supports requests for the whales to be removed immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a request to export the whales to China.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a perpetual situation in enclosure and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister commented. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals belong in the wild, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience permit an export that would continue the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments indicate a more general lack of awareness of the realities of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers attempt to find a resolution, suggestions have surfaced, 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 primary resource of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received government approval, has shown to be contentious. The planned location, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a sustainable solution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the idea of a sanctuary represents a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible plan in the short term.

An official, director of the sanctuary project, said the facility will simulate the cognitive activities and diet the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|