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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute little “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but fiercely protective friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a disagreement between a closed attraction, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated controversy over their fate often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the people who see them each day.

After the federal government blocked the transfer of the belugas to China, the embattled attraction near Niagara Falls where they are housed stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the government pays for the upkeep of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that demand, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and group interactions suggest they are deeply intelligent animals – something a former trainer learned directly.

She spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a job that involved earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She cultivated a particular love for two female belugas with contrasting natures.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Both changed the way I perceive bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales evolved against a background of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her three years at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say indicates the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly effects of the shutdown. “Concrete is breaking off from the pools because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not comment to a questionnaire, but in the past stated: “The whales … receive far superior veterinary services and around the clock care than any human in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in the spring following the passing of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the park believed information of the incident were disclosed to the press and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left her and other caretakers in distress. She says the facility’s threat to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any attempts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “immense manpower”, trucks and machinery.

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

She supports calls for the whales to be removed immediately from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a bid to send the whales to China.

“To approve the application would have meant a perpetual situation in confinement and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister commented. “As Canadians, we know that whales should be in the sea, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in good conscience permit an transfer that would prolong the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

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

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers struggle to find a solution, proposals have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of food for Inuit communities.

A planned refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which now received official endorsement, has proven contentious. The prospective site, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, is not yet built. Advocates remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a long term answer 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 trial” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the idea of a refuge indicates a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable solution in the coming months.

An official, director of the plan, said the facility will simulate the cognitive activities and diet the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|