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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a disagreement between a shuttered park, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the heated discussion over their destiny often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government blocked the export of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are held stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the government pays for the cost of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that request, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, problem solving and communal behavior point to they are remarkably smart creatures – something a former trainer discovered personally.

She spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a job that required building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the nuances and unique traits in their personalities. She cultivated a deep bond for two female belugas with different personalities.

“One whale chose me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Both changed the way I understand connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales evolved against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her tenure at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say indicates the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not operate to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the cessation. “Concrete is falling apart from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and swim around with pieces in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not reply to a questionnaire, but in the past stated: “The whales … receive far better veterinary services and 24/7 care than any human in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in recent months following the death of a beluga, an sick beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the facility suspected details of the incident were disclosed to the press and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the facility’s warning to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any efforts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “immense manpower”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

She backs requests for the whales to be transferred right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a request to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a perpetual life in confinement and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals should be in the sea, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing approve an transfer that would prolong the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks indicate a wider lack of awareness of the facts of life for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a answer, ideas have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of food for local populations.

A planned sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received official endorsement, has been highly debated. The planned facility, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Advocates remain positive that it could in time represent a long term solution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the prospect of a protected habitat reflects a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible approach in the near future.

The project lead, director of the plan, said the site will mimic the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales get from specialists, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|