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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a disagreement between a closed attraction, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

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 carefully observed by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government blocked the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling attraction near Niagara Falls where they are kept warned to end their lives unless the federal government covers the expense of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and social skills point to they are remarkably smart mammals – something a former trainer discovered directly.

She spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a job that involved gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Establishing 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. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the details and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She cultivated a particular love for two female belugas with opposing personalities.

“One whale accepted me. The other required effort,” she said. “Both changed the way I view connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s relationship with the whales developed against a context of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, died. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility links to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say points to the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The park did not open to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the shutdown. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and move about with fragments in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not reply to a inquiry, but previously asserted: “The whales … receive far higher quality medical attention and around the clock care than any individual in the UK, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in the spring following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the facility suspected information of the incident were shared to the press and she was released soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and current and former trainers in distress. She says the facility’s warning to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any attempts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “significant manpower”, equipment and machinery.

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

She advocates for demands for the whales to be removed promptly from the park, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

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

“Allowing the application would have meant a continued situation in confinement and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official wrote. “As the public, we know that whales are meant for the sea, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience permit an transfer that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments reveal a wider incorrect perception of the facts of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities work to find a answer, ideas have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a key source of nourishment for local populations.

A planned refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which now received official endorsement, has shown to be contentious. The planned facility, which includes a large area of protected cove, is not yet built. Supporters remain hopeful that it could in time represent a permanent answer for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the idea of a protected habitat represents a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a workable plan in the near future.

An official, leader of the plan, said the location will replicate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|