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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable small “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a tussle between a shuttered park, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the heated controversy over their fate often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been carefully observed by the people who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the authorities pays for the expense of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and communal behavior point to they are highly cognitive mammals – something a former trainer learned directly.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a position that required earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so amazed by the nuances and quirks in their personalities. She cultivated a deep bond for a pair of whales with opposing personalities.

“One whale chose me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Both altered the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales evolved against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her time at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, died. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park attributes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say points to the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The facility did not open to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the cessation. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not reply to a questionnaire, but earlier asserted: “The whales … obtain far superior medical attention and constant attention than any human in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in early March following the death of Eos, an sick beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the facility thought details of the death were disclosed to the news outlets and she was let go not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and other caretakers in anguish. She says the facility’s warning to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any attempts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “immense personnel”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

She supports calls for the whales to be removed immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a proposal to send the whales to China.

“Granting the application would have meant a perpetual situation in confinement and a return to display for amusement,” the official stated. “As the public, we know that belugas belong in the sea, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience approve an export that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reflect a wider misunderstanding of the realities of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities attempt to find a resolution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has been highly debated. The prospective location, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain positive that it could in time represent a permanent solution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the prospect of a refuge represents a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable approach in the coming months.

The project lead, head of the plan, said the facility will mimic the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales get from specialists, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|