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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable little “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a struggle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the intense debate over their future often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government prevented the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are housed warned to end their lives unless the authorities funds the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and communal behavior suggest they are remarkably smart creatures – something one caretaker learned first-hand.

Burgess spent several years as a whale caretaker, a position that involved earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the details and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She formed a special affection for a pair of whales with different temperaments.

“Eve selected me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Both changed the way I understand connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales progressed against a background of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her time at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the park ascribes to expected lifespan, but which activists say reflects the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The facility did not open to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand effects of the cessation. “Concrete is deteriorating from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and navigate with pieces in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not comment to a questionnaire, but earlier stated: “The whales … get far higher quality veterinary services and constant supervision than any person in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in the spring following the demise of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the park thought particulars of the incident were shared to the news outlets and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s threat to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any plans to euthanize even a single beluga would require “immense personnel”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

Burgess backs calls for the whales to be transferred right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a bid to send the whales to China.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a ongoing existence in confinement and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals belong in the wild, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing permit an relocation that would prolong the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements reflect a wider lack of awareness of the realities of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

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

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As authorities attempt to find a resolution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of food for local populations.

A planned sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received government approval, has shown to be highly debated. The planned location, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Advocates remain optimistic that it could in time represent a long term answer for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the possibility of a refuge represents a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible approach in the near future.

Charles Vinick, leader of the sanctuary project, said the location will mimic the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales get from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|