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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a struggle between a closed attraction, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned controversy over their future often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the people who see them each day.

After the federal government blocked the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near Niagara Falls where they are housed threatened to euthanize them unless the federal government funds the expense of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and social skills point to they are deeply intelligent animals – something one caretaker discovered first-hand.

Burgess spent three years as a beluga trainer, a role that required building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the subtleties and quirks in their dispositions. She cultivated a special affection for two female belugas with opposing natures.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “They transformed the way I understand connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her three years at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the park links to age-related causes, but which activists say points to the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The park did not open to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the closure. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not comment to a questionnaire, but previously stated: “The whales … obtain far better veterinary services and constant supervision than any human in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in recent months following the passing of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the park believed particulars of the death were shared to the news outlets and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and other caretakers in anguish. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any plans to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “significant manpower”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess advocates for demands for the whales to be transferred immediately from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a request to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a continued life in confinement and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that whales are meant for the ocean, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience authorize an export that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments indicate a wider lack of awareness of the facts of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely 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’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a resolution, proposals have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for local populations.

A proposed refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received government approval, has proven contentious. The planned site, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a permanent resolution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the possibility of a sanctuary indicates a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a workable plan in the coming months.

An official, leader of the sanctuary project, said the location will simulate the mental engagement and diet the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|