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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable little “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a tussle between a closed attraction, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense controversy over their future often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities disallowed the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to end their lives unless the federal government covers the expense of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and social skills indicate they are deeply intelligent animals – something one caretaker observed first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a job that required building relationships of the marine predators.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She cultivated a deep bond for a pair of whales with contrasting temperaments.

“One whale selected me. The other required effort,” she said. “Each transformed the way I view relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales developed against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her tenure at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the park links to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say reflects the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not admit visitors to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly effects of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and move about with chunks in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not comment to a request for comment, but earlier claimed: “The whales … receive far superior veterinary services and 24/7 care than any individual in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in early March following the passing of a beluga, an sick beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the park thought details of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any efforts to put down even a single beluga would require “significant staff”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess advocates for demands for the whales to be removed promptly from the park, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

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

“Allowing the application would have meant a continued existence in captivity and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that whales belong in the ocean, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an transfer that would continue the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments reflect a wider incorrect perception of the realities of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a resolution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A planned protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received government approval, has proven most controversial. The planned site, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. 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 discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Others say the idea of a sanctuary represents a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a workable approach in the coming months.

The project lead, head of the initiative, said the site will replicate the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|