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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a tussle between a closed attraction, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated discussion over their fate often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been closely studied by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the federal government blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial attraction near Niagara Falls where they are housed stated it would consider to put them down unless the government funds the expense of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that demand, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and group interactions suggest they are highly cognitive animals – something Kristy Burgess observed personally.

Burgess spent three years as a whale caretaker, a role that required gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the details and quirks in their personalities. She developed a special affection for a pair of whales with contrasting personalities.

“Eve selected me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Each altered the way I understand bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales progressed against a background of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her three years at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the park attributes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say points to the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The facility did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and swim around with fragments in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not reply to a request for comment, but earlier claimed: “The whales … obtain far superior medical attention and constant supervision than any individual in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in the spring following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the park suspected details of the incident were disclosed to the press and she was released shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and other caretakers in distress. She says the park’s warning to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any attempts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “significant manpower”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

She supports requests for the whales to be removed promptly from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In late September, the nation’s government official turned down a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a ongoing existence in confinement and a return to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As society, we know that marine mammals are meant for the sea, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience permit an transfer that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements reflect a more general incorrect perception of the realities of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials struggle to find a solution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A suggested protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which now received official endorsement, has been contentious. The prospective site, which includes a large area of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain positive that it could in time represent a sustainable resolution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the possibility of a refuge indicates a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a viable plan in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, leader of the initiative, said the location will simulate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|