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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable small “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a struggle between a shuttered park, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned discussion over their fate often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government prevented the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling attraction near Niagara Falls where they are housed threatened to put them down unless the federal government funds the cost of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and group interactions indicate they are deeply intelligent animals – something a former trainer learned personally.

Burgess spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that involved earning the trust of the sea creatures.

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

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the subtleties and unique traits in their characters. She cultivated a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing temperaments.

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

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales developed against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her three years at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, died. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the park links to age-related causes, but which advocates say reflects the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The park did not open to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly effects of the closure. “Concrete is breaking off from the pools because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not reply to a request for comment, but previously claimed: “The whales … obtain far superior health care and 24/7 supervision than any person in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in the spring following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility thought information of the death were leaked to the press and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the park’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any efforts to put down even a one beluga would require “immense manpower”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

She advocates for demands for the whales to be transferred promptly from the facility, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a continued life in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that belugas belong in the wild, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience authorize an export that would continue the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments reveal a more general lack of awareness of the facts of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a answer, proposals have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of sustenance for local populations.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received government approval, has proven highly debated. The planned site, which includes a large area of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain positive that it could in time represent a sustainable answer for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the prospect of a refuge indicates a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a viable approach in the short term.

The project lead, head of the plan, said the location will simulate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|