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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming little “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a disagreement between a closed attraction, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the heated debate over their fate often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the people who see them each day.

After the federal government blocked the sale of the belugas to China, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are held threatened to end their lives unless the federal government funds the upkeep of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that demand, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and group interactions point to they are remarkably smart mammals – something a former trainer discovered directly.

She spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that required earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable 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 idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She developed a deep bond for two female belugas with opposing temperaments.

“Eve selected me. The other demanded work,” she said. “They transformed the way I understand bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s relationship with the whales progressed against a background of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her time at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the park links to age-related causes, but which campaigners say points to the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The facility did not open to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand results of the cessation. “Structural materials is falling apart from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and move about with fragments in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but previously asserted: “The whales … obtain far superior medical attention and 24/7 attention than any person in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in early March following the death of a beluga, an unwell beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park thought information of the death were shared to the media and she was released not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left her and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any attempts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “significant staff”, equipment and machinery.

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

Burgess supports calls for the whales to be transferred immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official turned down a request to transfer the whales to China.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a perpetual situation in captivity and a return to public entertainment,” the official stated. “As the public, we know that belugas are meant for the wild, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing approve an relocation that would continue the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments indicate a more general incorrect perception of the circumstances 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 constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials struggle to find a resolution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has been most controversial. The future location, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a permanent solution for a number of the whales.

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

Some experts say the prospect of a refuge represents a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a feasible approach in the short term.

The project lead, director of the initiative, said the site will simulate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|