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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable small “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a disagreement between a shuttered park, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned debate over their destiny often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government prevented the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are housed threatened to euthanize them unless the government pays for the cost of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that demand, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and social skills indicate they are remarkably smart mammals – something one caretaker discovered first-hand.

She spent three years as a whale caretaker, a role that entailed gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so astounded by the subtleties and unique traits in their dispositions. She formed a special affection for two female belugas with opposing personalities.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “They changed the way I perceive bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales evolved against a context of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her three years at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility links to age-related causes, but which activists say reflects the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The facility did not operate to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly effects of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and navigate with chunks in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not respond to a inquiry, but earlier asserted: “The whales … get far better veterinary services and around the clock supervision than any person in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in recent months following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the facility believed information of the death were shared to the press and she was let go soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left her and other caretakers in distress. She says the park’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any efforts to put down even a one beluga would require “immense staff”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

She supports calls for the whales to be removed immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a bid to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a perpetual life in confinement and a return to performance for audiences,” the official wrote. “As society, we know that belugas belong in the ocean, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience permit an transfer that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements reveal a wider misunderstanding of the facts of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers struggle to find a answer, ideas have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for local populations.

A suggested refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has shown to be highly debated. The future site, which includes a large area of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a sustainable resolution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the possibility of a protected habitat reflects a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a workable solution in the coming months.

The project lead, leader of the sanctuary project, said the facility will mimic the mental engagement and diet the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|