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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a struggle between a shuttered park, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated controversy over their destiny often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government prevented the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are housed threatened to end their lives unless the government pays for the expense of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and social skills point to they are highly cognitive mammals – something Kristy Burgess learned personally.

Burgess spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a role that required gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She formed a special affection for two female belugas with opposing personalities.

“One whale accepted me. The other required effort,” she said. “Each altered the way I view relationships.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales developed against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her tenure at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say reflects the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The park did not open to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes results of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and navigate with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not respond to a inquiry, but in the past stated: “The whales … receive far better medical attention and around the clock attention than any individual in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in recent months following the demise of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the park believed information of the death were shared to the news outlets and she was fired not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left her and staff members in distress. She says the park’s threat to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any efforts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “immense staff”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

She supports demands for the whales to be transferred right away from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a request to send the whales to China.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a continued life in confinement and a return to public entertainment,” the official stated. “As society, we know that marine mammals belong in the sea, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing permit an relocation that would continue the situation these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements reflect a more general incorrect perception of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities work to find a resolution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of food for Indigenous peoples.

A planned sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has been most controversial. The prospective facility, which includes extensive space of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain optimistic that it could in time represent a long term answer for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the idea of a protected habitat indicates a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a feasible approach in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, leader of the plan, said the location will mimic the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|