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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable small “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a disagreement between a defunct facility, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense controversy over their destiny often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities prevented the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are held threatened to end their lives unless the federal government funds the upkeep of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and group interactions indicate they are remarkably smart creatures – something one caretaker observed personally.

She spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a position that entailed gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. 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 extraordinary and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She developed a deep bond for a pair of whales with contrasting temperaments.

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

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

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

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the park links to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say reflects the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The park did not operate to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly effects of the closure. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the pools because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not comment to a inquiry, but in the past claimed: “The whales … get far higher quality medical attention and constant care than any person in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in recent months following the passing of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected information of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and staff members in despair. She says the park’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any plans to put down even a individual beluga would require “significant staff”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

She supports calls for the whales to be transferred promptly from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In recent months, the nation’s government official rejected a request to export the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the application would have meant a ongoing situation in confinement and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As the public, we know that belugas should be in the wild, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience approve an export that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments reflect a wider incorrect perception of the circumstances of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials work to find a resolution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A suggested sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has been highly debated. The prospective site, which includes a large area of protected cove, is not yet built. Supporters remain positive that it could eventually represent a permanent solution for some of the whales.

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

Some experts say the idea of a protected habitat indicates a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a viable solution in the short term.

An official, leader of the initiative, said the facility will replicate the cognitive activities and diet the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|