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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute little “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a struggle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense controversy over their destiny often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been carefully observed by the people who see them each day.

After the federal government blocked the sale of the belugas to China, the controversial attraction near Niagara Falls where they are held stated it would consider to put them down unless the government pays for the upkeep of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, problem solving and social skills indicate they are deeply intelligent animals – something one caretaker observed personally.

She spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a position that entailed earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the details and quirks in their dispositions. She cultivated a particular love for a pair of whales with opposing temperaments.

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

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales progressed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her three years at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility attributes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say indicates the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The facility did not admit visitors to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly effects of the cessation. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and swim around with pieces in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not reply to a request for comment, but previously stated: “The whales … obtain far better veterinary services and 24/7 supervision than any individual in the UK, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in the spring following the death of a beluga, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility suspected details of the death were shared to the news outlets and she was fired not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the facility’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any attempts to put down even a individual beluga would require “significant personnel”, trucks and machinery.

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

She backs demands for the whales to be transferred promptly from the park, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a request to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the request would have meant a perpetual life in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As Canadians, we know that belugas should be in the wild, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience permit an relocation that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks reveal a wider lack of awareness of the facts of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As authorities struggle to find a resolution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has been highly debated. The planned site, which includes extensive space of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a sustainable solution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the possibility of a sanctuary reflects a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a viable plan in the short term.

An official, leader of the initiative, said the facility will simulate the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|