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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a struggle between a closed attraction, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated debate over their fate often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the people who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government blocked the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling attraction near Niagara Falls where they are housed threatened to euthanize them unless the federal government pays for the cost of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that demand, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, problem solving and social skills indicate they are deeply intelligent mammals – something Kristy Burgess discovered first-hand.

She spent three years as a whale caretaker, a job that involved gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the details and unique traits in their dispositions. She cultivated a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with different personalities.

“Eve selected me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Both transformed the way I perceive relationships.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales progressed against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the park links to expected lifespan, but which activists say points to the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The facility did not operate to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the cessation. “Concrete is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and navigate with pieces in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not reply to a inquiry, but earlier asserted: “The whales … receive far higher quality health care and around the clock attention than any person in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in recent months following the demise of a beluga, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility thought details of the death were leaked to the news outlets and she was fired not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and current and former trainers in distress. She says the facility’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any efforts to put down even a one beluga would require “immense staff”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

She backs demands for the whales to be transferred promptly from the park, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a proposal to transfer the whales to China.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a ongoing existence in enclosure and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that belugas belong in the ocean, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing approve an export that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements indicate a wider incorrect perception of the facts of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers struggle to find a answer, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of nourishment for local populations.

A planned protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received official endorsement, has proven contentious. The planned site, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain optimistic that it could in time represent a permanent solution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the idea of a refuge indicates a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible plan in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, director of the initiative, said the facility will mimic the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|