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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute small “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a struggle between a closed attraction, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned controversy over their future often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been closely studied by the people who work with them regularly.

After the federal government disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling attraction near Niagara Falls where they are housed warned to put them down unless the authorities funds the cost of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and communal behavior suggest they are deeply intelligent animals – something one caretaker learned directly.

She spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a position that involved earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the nuances and quirks in their characters. She formed a particular love for a pair of whales with different temperaments.

“Eve chose me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Both transformed the way I view connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales evolved against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her time at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, died. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility links to age-related causes, but which campaigners say indicates the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not open to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the shutdown. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and navigate with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but earlier asserted: “The whales … get far superior medical attention and 24/7 supervision than any person in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the park in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility believed particulars of the incident were shared to the press and she was released soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any plans to euthanize even a single beluga would require “significant personnel”, vehicles and machinery.

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

Burgess advocates for demands for the whales to be removed right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a request to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the request would have meant a perpetual existence in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the official wrote. “As society, we know that marine mammals are meant for the wild, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience approve an export that would continue the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s statements reflect a wider incorrect perception 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 human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials work to find a solution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A suggested protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received official endorsement, has proven contentious. The prospective location, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a long term solution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the possibility of a sanctuary indicates a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a workable approach in the near future.

An official, director of the initiative, said the location will simulate the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|