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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a closed attraction, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the heated discussion over their future often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the people who see them each day.

After the national authorities blocked the sale of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are housed warned to euthanize them unless the federal government pays for the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and social skills suggest they are deeply intelligent animals – something a former trainer discovered directly.

Burgess spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a position that required gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

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

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so astounded by the subtleties and unique traits in their personalities. She cultivated a deep bond for two female belugas with opposing temperaments.

“One whale selected me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Both changed the way I understand bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s interaction with the whales evolved against a background of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her three years at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the facility attributes to expected lifespan, but which activists say reflects the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The facility did not admit visitors to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes results of the shutdown. “Structural materials is falling apart from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and navigate with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not reply to a questionnaire, but earlier asserted: “The whales … obtain far superior health care and 24/7 attention than any human in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in the spring following the death of Eos, an sick beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the park suspected particulars of the incident were leaked to the media and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left her and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any plans to put down even a one beluga would require “significant staff”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

She supports requests for the whales to be taken right away from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In late September, Canada’s government official rejected a request to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the request would have meant a perpetual life in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the official wrote. “As the public, we know that marine mammals should be in the sea, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience authorize an relocation that would prolong the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks reveal a wider lack of awareness of the facts of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials struggle to find a solution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of food for local populations.

A planned refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has shown to be most controversial. The prospective site, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain positive that it could ultimately represent a long term answer for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Others say the prospect of a protected habitat represents a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a workable plan in the coming months.

An official, director of the sanctuary project, said the site will mimic the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|