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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an charming small “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a worm. 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 caught in a struggle between a closed attraction, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the intense discussion over their destiny often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the federal government disallowed the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the federal government funds the cost of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

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

She spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a role that involved building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so amazed by the subtleties and unique traits in their personalities. She formed a particular love for two female belugas with different temperaments.

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

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

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

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the park links to expected lifespan, but which activists say points to the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The park did not operate to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes results of the closure. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the pools because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and swim around with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but previously asserted: “The whales … obtain far better veterinary services and constant attention than any human in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in the spring following the death of a beluga, an ailing beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the park suspected particulars of the incident were disclosed to the press and she was released soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any efforts to put down even a individual beluga would require “immense manpower”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

She backs requests for the whales to be taken right away from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

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

“Allowing the request would have meant a ongoing life in enclosure and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official stated. “As society, we know that marine mammals belong in the sea, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in good conscience approve an export that would continue the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements reflect a broader misunderstanding of the circumstances of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities attempt to find a solution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A planned protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which has received regulatory clearance, has shown to be contentious. The planned site, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Advocates remain positive that it could in time represent a long term solution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ future.

Others say the prospect of a refuge represents a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible solution in the short term.

The project lead, head of the initiative, said the location will mimic the cognitive activities and diet the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|