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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming small “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a struggle between a shuttered park, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense discussion over their destiny often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the federal government blocked the transfer of the belugas to China, the controversial attraction near Niagara Falls where they are held warned to put them down unless the authorities pays for the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that request, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and social skills indicate they are deeply intelligent creatures – something one caretaker observed personally.

She spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a position that required earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the subtleties and quirks in their dispositions. She developed a particular love for a pair of whales with contrasting temperaments.

“One whale chose me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “They changed the way I understand relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

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

During her three years at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, died. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the facility links to expected lifespan, but which advocates say reflects the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The facility did not admit visitors to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes effects of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and navigate with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not reply to a request for comment, but in the past stated: “The whales … receive far better veterinary services and 24/7 supervision than any individual in the Britain, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in recent months following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility suspected details of the incident were shared to the news outlets and she was fired not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in distress. She says the park’s threat to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “considerable staff”, equipment and specialized tools.

“There’s no way 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 reduced personnel.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official turned down a request to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the application would have meant a continued life in confinement and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that whales should be in the sea, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience permit an relocation that would prolong the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements reflect a more general misunderstanding of the realities of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities work to find a solution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of food for Inuit communities.

A proposed refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which now received regulatory clearance, has proven contentious. The prospective site, which includes a large area of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain positive that it could in time represent a sustainable solution for eight of the whales.

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

Different voices say the possibility of a protected habitat indicates a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a feasible approach in the short term.

An official, director of the plan, said the site will replicate the mental engagement and diet the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|