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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable small “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a struggle between a shuttered park, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense discussion over their future often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who see them each day.

After the federal government disallowed the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are held warned to put them down unless the authorities covers the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and social skills point to they are highly cognitive mammals – something a former trainer learned personally.

She spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that entailed gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so surprised by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She cultivated a special affection for a pair of whales with contrasting personalities.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Each altered the way I understand relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales developed against a context of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her time at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, died. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility links to age-related causes, but which campaigners say indicates the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The park did not admit visitors to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the shutdown. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and swim around with fragments in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not comment to a inquiry, but earlier claimed: “The whales … receive far higher quality veterinary services and 24/7 care than any individual in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in early March following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the park suspected particulars of the death were shared to the media and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and current and former trainers in despair. She says the park’s warning to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any attempts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “considerable personnel”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

She supports requests for the whales to be transferred immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a request to transfer the whales to China.

“Allowing the request would have meant a perpetual existence in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that whales are meant for the ocean, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an export that would continue the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reveal 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 spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As authorities struggle to find a answer, suggestions have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for local populations.

A planned sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received government approval, has proven highly debated. The planned site, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain positive that it could eventually represent a permanent answer for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the idea of a refuge indicates a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible plan in the near future.

The project lead, leader of the sanctuary project, said the site will mimic the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|