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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable small “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a tussle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those closest to 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 enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the people who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government blocked the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near Niagara Falls where they are held threatened to put them down unless the federal government pays for the expense of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that request, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and group interactions point to they are highly cognitive mammals – something one caretaker observed directly.

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

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the details and unique traits in their personalities. She developed a special affection for two female belugas with contrasting personalities.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “They transformed the way I view connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her tenure at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, died. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility attributes to natural mortality, but which activists say indicates the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The facility did not operate to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and navigate with pieces in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not reply to a request for comment, but in the past asserted: “The whales … obtain far higher quality medical attention and 24/7 attention than any person in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in recent months following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the facility suspected details of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s warning to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any efforts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “immense personnel”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

Burgess supports demands for the whales to be removed promptly from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official denied a proposal to transfer the whales to China.

“To approve the application would have meant a ongoing situation in confinement and a return to public entertainment,” the minister stated. “As the public, we know that belugas should be in the wild, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience permit an transfer that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements reflect a broader misunderstanding of the circumstances of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers struggle to find a solution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A planned sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has been highly debated. The prospective site, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a long term solution for a number of the whales.

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

Some experts say the prospect of a refuge indicates a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a viable plan in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, head of the plan, said the site will mimic the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|