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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a struggle between a defunct facility, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the intense controversy over their future often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been closely studied by the people who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities prevented the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling attraction near Niagara Falls where they are kept stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the federal government funds the expense of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and communal behavior suggest they are deeply intelligent creatures – something Kristy Burgess learned directly.

Burgess spent three years as a beluga trainer, a job that required earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the nuances and quirks in their characters. She cultivated a deep bond for a pair of whales with opposing temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “They altered the way I view relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales evolved against a background of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her three years at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the facility links to natural mortality, but which advocates say reflects the inadequate care 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 effects of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and swim around with fragments in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not respond to a request for comment, but in the past claimed: “The whales … get far better medical attention and constant attention than any individual in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in early March following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility thought information of the incident were disclosed to the press and she was released shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left her and current and former trainers in distress. She says the facility’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any plans to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “considerable staff”, trucks and machinery.

“It’s impossible in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess backs demands for the whales to be taken right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In late September, Canada’s government official denied a bid to transfer the whales to China.

“To approve the application would have meant a continued life in enclosure and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official commented. “As society, we know that marine mammals should be in the wild, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience approve an transfer that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks indicate a broader incorrect perception of the circumstances of existence for belugas born in captivity.

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

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities work to find a resolution, proposals have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A suggested sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has proven contentious. The planned facility, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a sustainable solution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the idea of a sanctuary represents a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable plan in the short term.

The project lead, leader of the sanctuary project, said the site will simulate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|