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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an charming small “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a disagreement between a defunct facility, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated discussion over their future often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the humans who see them each day.

After the federal government prevented the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial attraction near Niagara Falls where they are housed warned to euthanize them unless the authorities covers the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and social skills point to they are remarkably smart creatures – something one caretaker learned personally.

Burgess spent three years as a beluga trainer, a role that required gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“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 extraordinary and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the details and quirks in their personalities. She cultivated a special affection for a pair of whales with opposing natures.

“Eve selected me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Each transformed the way I perceive relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

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

During her three years at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, died. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park attributes to natural mortality, but which advocates say reflects the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The facility did not operate to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand results of the cessation. “Concrete is breaking off from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and swim around with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but in the past asserted: “The whales … obtain far superior medical attention and around the clock attention than any person in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in the spring following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the park thought particulars of the death were disclosed to the news outlets and she was released soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “immense staff”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

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

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

“To approve the application would have meant a continued life in confinement and a return to display for amusement,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that whales belong in the wild, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing approve an relocation that would continue the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments reflect a more general lack of awareness of the facts of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a solution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received government approval, has proven contentious. The planned site, which includes extensive space of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a long term solution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the prospect of a protected habitat represents a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a viable solution in the coming months.

An official, leader of the sanctuary project, said the site will simulate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|