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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a tussle between a shuttered park, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned discussion over their destiny often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the national authorities disallowed the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to end their lives unless the federal government pays for the cost of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and communal behavior indicate they are remarkably smart creatures – something Kristy Burgess discovered directly.

Burgess spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that required building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, 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 even so amazed by the details and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She formed a special affection for a pair of whales with different personalities.

“One whale selected me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Both altered the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s interaction with the whales progressed against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the park links to natural mortality, but which campaigners say reflects the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The park did not open to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the cessation. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and swim around with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not respond to a request for comment, but earlier stated: “The whales … get far superior veterinary services and constant supervision than any person in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in recent months following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the park believed details of the death were shared to the media and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left her and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s warning to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any efforts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “immense manpower”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess backs requests for the whales to be removed promptly from the park, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

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

“To approve the application would have meant a continued situation in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that belugas belong in the ocean, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing approve an relocation that would continue the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reflect a wider misunderstanding of the circumstances of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to grasp 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 simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers struggle to find a answer, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a important part of nourishment for local populations.

A planned refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has proven most controversial. The planned location, which includes extensive space of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain hopeful that it could in time represent a permanent solution 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’ fate.

Others say the possibility of a sanctuary represents a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable solution in the short term.

The project lead, director of the plan, said the location will simulate the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|