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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a tussle between a closed attraction, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense debate over their destiny often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the humans who see them each day.

After the national authorities prevented the export of the belugas to China, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are housed stated it would consider to end their lives unless the authorities covers the cost of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and group interactions indicate they are deeply intelligent creatures – something Kristy Burgess observed first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a job that required building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the details and unique traits in their characters. She developed a deep bond for two female belugas with different temperaments.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “They altered the way I understand bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her tenure at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the park links to natural mortality, but which campaigners say indicates the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The park did not admit visitors to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the shutdown. “Concrete is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and navigate with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but previously stated: “The whales … obtain far superior veterinary services and 24/7 attention than any human in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in early March following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the park believed details of the incident were leaked to the media and she was let go soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left her and staff members in despair. She says the park’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any attempts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “considerable personnel”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

Burgess advocates for calls for the whales to be taken immediately from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a bid to export the whales to China.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a perpetual life in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that belugas are meant for the sea, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in good conscience authorize an relocation that would prolong the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments indicate a broader lack of awareness of the facts of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a solution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a important part of sustenance for local populations.

A suggested sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received official endorsement, has shown to be contentious. The prospective facility, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Proponents remain positive that it could in time represent a permanent solution for eight of the whales.

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

Different voices say the prospect of a refuge represents a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a feasible solution in the coming months.

An official, head of the initiative, said the location will replicate the mental engagement and diet the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|