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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a tussle between a defunct facility, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated controversy over their destiny often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities prevented the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept stated it would consider to end their lives unless the authorities funds the cost of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and communal behavior point to they are deeply intelligent animals – something a former trainer observed first-hand.

She spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that entailed gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the details and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She formed a deep bond for a pair of whales with different natures.

“Eve selected me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Both changed the way I view connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

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

During her time at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility attributes to age-related causes, but which activists say indicates the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The facility did not admit visitors to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes results of the cessation. “Structural materials is falling apart from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and swim around with chunks in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not reply to a questionnaire, but earlier asserted: “The whales … get far higher quality veterinary services and around the clock care than any individual in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in recent months following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility believed particulars of the incident were shared to the media and she was let go not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and current and former trainers in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “considerable personnel”, equipment and machinery.

“It cannot happen in hell the staff would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess advocates for requests for the whales to be removed right away from the facility, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In late September, the nation’s government official denied a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a ongoing existence in enclosure and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister stated. “As the public, we know that belugas should be in the wild, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience approve an relocation that would prolong the situation these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks reveal a more general misunderstanding of the realities of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities work to find a answer, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of food for local populations.

A proposed refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which now received regulatory clearance, has been contentious. The planned location, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain optimistic that it could in time represent a permanent answer for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the idea of a protected habitat reflects a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible plan in the short term.

An official, leader of the plan, said the location will replicate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|