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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute small “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a tussle between a defunct facility, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the intense discussion over their destiny often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the people who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities prevented the transfer of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the federal government pays for the upkeep of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, problem solving and group interactions suggest they are highly cognitive creatures – something one caretaker observed personally.

Burgess spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that involved building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those relationships 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 reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the details and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She developed a particular love for a pair of whales with contrasting temperaments.

“Eve chose me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Each altered the way I understand bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

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

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park ascribes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say points to the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not operate to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand effects of the cessation. “Structural materials is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and navigate with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not reply to a questionnaire, but earlier claimed: “The whales … obtain far better health care and constant care than any person in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in early March following the passing of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to put down. She said the facility thought information of the death were shared to the media and she was fired soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “immense personnel”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

Burgess advocates for requests for the whales to be removed immediately from the facility, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official turned down a bid to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the application would have meant a ongoing existence in captivity and a return to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that marine mammals are meant for the wild, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing approve an transfer that would continue the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks indicate a more general misunderstanding of the realities of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats 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’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities attempt to find a solution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A planned protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received official endorsement, has been most controversial. The planned facility, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Supporters remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a sustainable resolution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the idea of a sanctuary indicates a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable solution in the near future.

The project lead, leader of the sanctuary project, said the location will replicate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|