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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute small “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a disagreement between a shuttered park, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense debate over their future often fails to consider the individual traits 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 sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling facility near Niagara Falls where they are held threatened to euthanize them unless the government funds the cost of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and communal behavior point to they are deeply intelligent mammals – something a former trainer learned directly.

She spent several years as a whale caretaker, a job that entailed gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the nuances and quirks in their characters. She developed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with different personalities.

“One whale selected me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “They altered the way I understand connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s connection with the whales progressed against a context of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her tenure at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility links to natural mortality, but which advocates say points to the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The facility did not operate to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand results of the shutdown. “Structural materials is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and swim around with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a inquiry, but earlier claimed: “The whales … obtain far better veterinary services and around the clock care than any individual in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in the spring following the death of a beluga, an unwell beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the facility thought information of the incident were leaked to the news outlets and she was let go soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left her and other caretakers in distress. She says the park’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any efforts to put down even a one beluga would require “significant personnel”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

She supports demands for the whales to be transferred immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a bid to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a perpetual life in confinement and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that belugas belong in the sea, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience permit an export that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements reveal a broader misunderstanding of the facts of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities struggle to find a resolution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of food for local populations.

A proposed protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received government approval, has shown to be highly debated. The planned site, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, is not yet built. Supporters remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a sustainable answer for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the possibility of a refuge indicates a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible approach in the short term.

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