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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a disagreement between a shuttered park, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense controversy over their future often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the people who see them each day.

After the national authorities prevented the export of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are housed threatened to euthanize them unless the authorities pays for the upkeep of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and communal behavior point to they are deeply intelligent creatures – something one caretaker observed first-hand.

Burgess spent three years as a beluga trainer, a job that involved building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the nuances and quirks in their dispositions. She cultivated a special affection for two female belugas with contrasting personalities.

“One whale selected me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “They altered the way I view bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales evolved against a background of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her three years at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility attributes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say points to the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The facility did not admit visitors to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand effects of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and swim around with chunks in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not reply to a questionnaire, but in the past claimed: “The whales … receive far better veterinary services and around the clock care than any human in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the facility thought details of the death were shared to the press and she was let go soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left her and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any attempts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “immense manpower”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

“It cannot happen in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess backs demands for the whales to be taken right away from the park, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In recent months, Canada’s government official rejected a proposal to transfer the whales to China.

“To approve the request would have meant a continued life in enclosure and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that whales belong in the wild, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience permit an transfer that would continue the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

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

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a solution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received official endorsement, has shown to be most controversial. The planned location, which includes extensive space of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain positive that it could ultimately represent a long term resolution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the idea of a protected habitat reflects a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible solution in the short term.

Charles Vinick, head of the sanctuary project, said the site will replicate the mental engagement and diet the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|