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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute small “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a tussle between a closed attraction, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated discussion over their future often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the federal government prevented the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are housed threatened to euthanize them unless the government funds the upkeep of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and communal behavior suggest they are highly cognitive animals – something Kristy Burgess discovered directly.

She spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a position that entailed building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the nuances and unique traits in their dispositions. She developed a deep bond for two female belugas with contrasting natures.

“Eve selected me. The other required effort,” she said. “They transformed the way I view connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, died. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility links to age-related causes, but which activists say reflects the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The facility did not operate to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes effects of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and move about with pieces in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not comment to a inquiry, but previously stated: “The whales … get far higher quality medical attention and 24/7 supervision than any person in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the park in the spring following the death of a beluga, an unwell beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the facility believed information of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the park’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any plans to put down even a individual beluga would require “significant manpower”, 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 taken immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In recent months, Canada’s government official turned down a request to send the whales to China.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a perpetual life in captivity and a return to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that belugas belong in the wild, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an export that would continue the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements reflect a more general lack of awareness of the facts of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a resolution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has been highly debated. The planned facility, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a sustainable answer for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the possibility of a refuge represents a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a viable plan in the short term.

An official, head of the sanctuary project, said the location will simulate the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales get from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|