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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute little “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a struggle between a defunct facility, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense debate over their fate often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities prevented the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are kept stated it would consider to put them down unless the government covers the upkeep of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and social skills suggest they are deeply intelligent creatures – something one caretaker discovered first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a job that involved gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She developed a deep bond for a pair of whales with opposing personalities.

“Eve chose me. The other required effort,” she said. “Each transformed the way I perceive bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales evolved against a background of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her tenure at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, died. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park ascribes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say reflects the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The facility did not operate to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the cessation. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and navigate with chunks in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not respond to a inquiry, but in the past asserted: “The whales … obtain far superior health care and 24/7 supervision than any individual in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in early March following the passing of Eos, an sick beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park believed information of the death were disclosed to the news outlets and she was fired not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and other caretakers in distress. She says the facility’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any attempts to put down even a individual beluga would require “immense manpower”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess backs calls for the whales to be removed right away from the facility, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In late September, Canada’s government official denied a proposal to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a ongoing existence in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As society, we know that belugas should be in the wild, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience permit an export that would continue the situation these belugas have suffered.”

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

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a resolution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A planned refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received government approval, has been most controversial. The prospective site, which includes a large area of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a sustainable resolution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the possibility of a sanctuary represents a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a feasible approach in the short term.

The project lead, leader of the sanctuary project, said the facility will simulate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales get from trainers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|