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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a tussle between a defunct facility, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the heated controversy over their destiny often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the federal government blocked the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near Niagara Falls where they are held threatened to end their lives unless the government pays for the cost of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and communal behavior indicate they are remarkably smart animals – something one caretaker learned directly.

Burgess spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that required building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the nuances and unique traits in their characters. She developed a particular love for two female belugas with different natures.

“Eve selected me. The other demanded work,” she said. “They altered the way I view connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her tenure at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the park links to expected lifespan, but which activists say reflects the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The park did not operate to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the cessation. “Structural materials is breaking off from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but in the past stated: “The whales … obtain far better medical attention and 24/7 supervision than any person in the Britain, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in early March following the demise of Eos, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the facility thought details of the death were disclosed to the media and she was fired not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left her and staff members in distress. She says the park’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any attempts to put down even a single beluga would require “considerable manpower”, equipment and machinery.

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

Burgess advocates for demands for the whales to be removed promptly from the park, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a proposal to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the request would have meant a perpetual life in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the minister wrote. “As society, we know that marine mammals should be in the wild, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience permit an transfer that would prolong the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments indicate a broader misunderstanding of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials work to find a solution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A planned sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has been contentious. The future facility, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a sustainable resolution for a number of the whales.

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

Different voices say the possibility of a protected habitat indicates a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a viable solution in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, director of the initiative, said the location will mimic the cognitive activities and diet the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|