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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a tussle between a shuttered park, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated controversy over their destiny often ignores 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 disallowed the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling attraction near Niagara Falls where they are kept stated it would consider to end their lives unless the federal government pays for the upkeep of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that demand, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, problem solving and communal behavior indicate they are highly cognitive mammals – something Kristy Burgess discovered personally.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a position that involved building relationships of the marine predators.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so astounded by the details and unique traits in their personalities. She cultivated a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing temperaments.

“One whale accepted me. The other required effort,” she said. “Both transformed the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales evolved against a background of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her three years at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say points to the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The facility did not operate to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand effects of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and navigate with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not comment to a inquiry, but earlier stated: “The whales … get far superior health care and constant supervision than any person in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in early March following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park believed particulars of the death were shared to the media and she was let go soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left her and other caretakers in despair. She says the park’s warning to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “immense manpower”, trucks and machinery.

“It’s impossible in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

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

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a request to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a continued existence in enclosure and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As society, we know that whales should be in the wild, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an export that would continue the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements indicate a wider lack of awareness of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a resolution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of food for local populations.

A suggested sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received government approval, has proven most controversial. The planned facility, which includes a large area of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain positive that it could eventually represent a permanent resolution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the idea of a refuge represents a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable plan in the short term.

An official, head of the sanctuary project, said the site will mimic the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales get from trainers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|