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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a struggle between a defunct facility, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense debate over their future often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the people who interact with them daily.

After the federal government blocked the sale of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept warned to end their lives unless the federal government covers the cost of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and social skills suggest they are highly cognitive mammals – something one caretaker learned personally.

She spent several years as a whale caretaker, a position that involved building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the nuances and unique traits in their dispositions. She developed a particular love for a pair of whales with contrasting temperaments.

“Eve chose me. The other required effort,” she said. “They altered the way I view relationships.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales evolved against a context of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her three years at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a toll which the park attributes to age-related causes, but which advocates say indicates the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The park did not open to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the cessation. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the pools because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and move about with pieces in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but in the past claimed: “The whales … receive far higher quality medical attention and 24/7 care than any person in the Britain, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in the spring following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the facility thought details of the death were disclosed to the press and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and other caretakers in distress. She says the park’s threat to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any plans to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “immense staff”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess advocates for calls for the whales to be taken right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a request to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a perpetual existence in enclosure and a return to display for amusement,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that belugas should be in the wild, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing approve an relocation that would continue the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements reflect a broader lack of awareness of the realities of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers struggle to find a resolution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has been most controversial. The prospective facility, which includes a large area of protected cove, is not yet built. Advocates remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a long term solution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the idea of a sanctuary reflects a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable plan in the short term.

The project lead, leader of the sanctuary project, said the facility will replicate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|