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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute little “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a struggle between a defunct facility, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the heated discussion over their fate often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been carefully observed by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities blocked the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near Niagara Falls where they are held warned to put them down unless the authorities pays for the expense of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and group interactions point to they are deeply intelligent mammals – something a former trainer discovered first-hand.

Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a job that entailed building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so surprised by the subtleties and quirks in their personalities. She developed a particular love for two female belugas with different personalities.

“Eve chose me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “They changed the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales evolved against a background of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, died. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park links to age-related causes, but which advocates say points to the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and swim around with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not respond to a request for comment, but previously claimed: “The whales … get far superior medical attention and constant attention than any person in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in early March following the passing of Eos, an sick beluga the employees had to put down. She said the facility suspected information of the incident were leaked to the news outlets and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the park’s threat to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any plans to euthanize even a single beluga would require “considerable staff”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess advocates for requests for the whales to be removed right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

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

“Allowing the application would have meant a perpetual life in confinement and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that belugas belong in the wild, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in good conscience permit an export that would continue the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s statements reflect a broader misunderstanding of the circumstances of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a solution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of nourishment for local populations.

A proposed sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received regulatory clearance, has proven most controversial. The planned location, which includes extensive space of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain positive that it could in time represent a long term answer for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Others say the idea of a sanctuary reflects a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible solution in the near future.

The project lead, head of the plan, said the facility will simulate the mental engagement and diet the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|