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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an charming little “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a disagreement between a closed attraction, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the heated discussion over their destiny often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the national authorities prevented the sale of the belugas to China, the controversial attraction near Niagara Falls where they are housed warned to put them down unless the authorities covers the cost of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and social skills indicate they are highly cognitive mammals – something a former trainer learned first-hand.

Burgess spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that required gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the nuances and quirks in their dispositions. She cultivated a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting personalities.

“One whale selected me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Each changed the way I understand relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales developed against a context of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her tenure at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a toll which the park links to age-related causes, but which activists say reflects the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not operate to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly results of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and swim around with fragments in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not respond to a inquiry, but in the past claimed: “The whales … receive far better veterinary services and 24/7 attention than any individual in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in early March following the death of a beluga, an ailing beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility thought information of the incident were disclosed to the press and she was released shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and other caretakers in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any plans to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “significant manpower”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

Burgess supports demands for the whales to be taken immediately from the facility, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a proposal to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a continued life in captivity and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals should be in the sea, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience approve an relocation that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s statements reflect a broader misunderstanding of the realities of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers struggle to find a resolution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received official endorsement, has proven most controversial. The planned facility, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a long term answer for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the prospect of a refuge indicates a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a workable approach in the near future.

Charles Vinick, head of the sanctuary project, said the location will mimic the cognitive activities and diet the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|