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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming small “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a struggle between a shuttered park, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned controversy over their destiny often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the federal government blocked the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled attraction near Niagara Falls where they are housed threatened to end their lives unless the government pays for the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that demand, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, problem solving and communal behavior point to they are deeply intelligent animals – something a former trainer learned personally.

Burgess spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that entailed building relationships of the marine predators.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She formed a special affection for two female belugas with different temperaments.

“Eve chose me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Each changed the way I perceive bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s connection with the whales progressed against a background of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her time at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility links to natural mortality, but which advocates say reflects the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The park did not open to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the cessation. “Structural materials is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and swim around with chunks in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not respond to a questionnaire, but in the past asserted: “The whales … get far superior medical attention and constant attention than any individual in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an ailing beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the park suspected details of the death were shared to the press and she was fired soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and other caretakers in anguish. She says the park’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any attempts to put down even a one beluga would require “significant staff”, equipment and machinery.

“It’s impossible in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess advocates for demands for the whales to be taken right away from the facility, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

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

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a ongoing existence in confinement and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As Canadians, we know that belugas belong in the ocean, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience permit an relocation that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments indicate a more general misunderstanding of the realities of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials work to find a resolution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for local populations.

A suggested protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which now received official endorsement, has shown to be contentious. The future location, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Advocates remain optimistic that it could in time represent a permanent solution for a number of the whales.

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

Different voices say the prospect of a sanctuary represents a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a viable approach in the short term.

The project lead, head of the plan, said the facility will mimic the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|