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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable little “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a struggle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned controversy over their destiny often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed 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 end their lives unless the authorities covers the expense of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and group interactions suggest they are highly cognitive animals – something a former trainer observed personally.

Burgess spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a job that entailed gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so amazed by the details and quirks in their personalities. She developed a particular love for a pair of whales with different personalities.

“Eve chose me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Both changed the way I view bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s connection with the whales progressed against a background of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her time at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility ascribes to natural mortality, but which advocates say indicates the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not open to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand effects of the cessation. “Concrete is falling apart from the pools because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not comment to a questionnaire, but in the past asserted: “The whales … receive far better veterinary services and constant supervision than any person in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in the spring following the passing of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the facility suspected information of the incident were leaked to the news outlets and she was released soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any efforts to put down even a one beluga would require “significant personnel”, trucks and specialized tools.

“There’s no way in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess advocates for calls for the whales to be removed promptly from the park, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a proposal to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the application would have meant a continued existence in confinement and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals should be in the wild, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience permit an export that would prolong the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments indicate a broader incorrect perception of the facts of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement 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 simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities work to find a resolution, proposals have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of nourishment for local populations.

A proposed protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received government approval, has proven highly debated. The future facility, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain hopeful that it could in time represent a sustainable solution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the possibility of a sanctuary represents a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable solution in the near future.

The project lead, director of the initiative, said the facility will simulate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|