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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute small “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a disagreement between a defunct facility, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned debate over their fate often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities blocked the sale of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are held threatened to put them down unless the government covers the expense of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that request, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and social skills indicate they are deeply intelligent creatures – something Kristy Burgess discovered first-hand.

She spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that required earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so astounded by the details and quirks in their characters. She formed a deep bond for a pair of whales with different natures.

“One whale chose me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “They altered the way I view bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales evolved against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, died. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the park links to natural mortality, but which activists say indicates the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a inquiry, but earlier claimed: “The whales … receive far better medical attention and around the clock care than any human in the UK, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in the spring following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the park thought details of the death were shared to the media and she was released not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “immense manpower”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

Burgess supports demands for the whales to be taken promptly from the park, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In late September, Canada’s government official turned down a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the request would have meant a continued situation in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As Canadians, we know that whales should be in the wild, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience approve an export that would continue the situation these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reflect a wider misunderstanding of the realities of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers attempt to find a solution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A proposed refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received regulatory clearance, has proven highly debated. The future location, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Proponents remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a sustainable answer for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the idea of a refuge reflects a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible approach in the near future.

An official, director of the plan, said the site will replicate the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales get from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|