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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a tussle between a shuttered park, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense controversy over their destiny often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the national authorities prevented the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial attraction near Niagara Falls where they are housed threatened to put them down unless the government pays for the cost of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and social skills point to they are deeply intelligent mammals – something a former trainer discovered directly.

Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a job that involved gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so surprised by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She cultivated a deep bond for two female belugas with opposing natures.

“One whale selected me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “They changed the way I view connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

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

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, died. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the park ascribes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say points to the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not operate to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not comment to a inquiry, but in the past claimed: “The whales … receive far better medical attention and around the clock attention than any human in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in recent months following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility thought particulars of the death were disclosed to the press and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left her and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s threat to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any plans to euthanize even a one beluga would require “considerable manpower”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

She supports calls for the whales to be transferred right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a proposal to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a continued life in confinement and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As society, we know that whales should be in the sea, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing approve an export that would continue the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks reveal a wider lack of awareness of the facts of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

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

A proposed protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which now received government approval, has been most controversial. The prospective location, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain optimistic that it could in time represent a sustainable answer for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the prospect of a sanctuary represents a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a workable approach in the near future.

An official, leader of the sanctuary project, said the facility will mimic the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales get from trainers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|