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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute little “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a disagreement between a closed attraction, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned controversy over their destiny often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the federal government prevented the transfer of the belugas to China, the embattled attraction near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to end their lives unless the authorities covers the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and social skills point to they are remarkably smart creatures – something a former trainer observed directly.

She spent three years as a beluga trainer, a role that required building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so amazed by the details and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She developed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing personalities.

“One whale selected me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Each altered the way I understand connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales developed against a context of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her three years at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility ascribes to natural mortality, but which activists say points to the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The facility did not open to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the shutdown. “Structural materials is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and move about with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not reply to a inquiry, but in the past asserted: “The whales … obtain far higher quality veterinary services and around the clock supervision than any human in the Britain, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in the spring following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the facility believed details of the death were leaked to the media and she was released shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the park’s warning to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “immense staff”, vehicles and machinery.

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

Burgess supports demands for the whales to be transferred right away from the park, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a proposal to send the whales to China.

“Allowing the request would have meant a continued situation in confinement and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that whales are meant for the sea, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing permit an export that would continue the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reveal a more general incorrect perception of the realities of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials struggle to find a solution, ideas have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A planned sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which now received regulatory clearance, has been most controversial. The future location, which includes a large area of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain hopeful that it could in time represent a sustainable answer for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the idea of a refuge reflects a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a viable approach in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, director of the plan, said the location will mimic the mental engagement and nutrition the whales get from trainers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|