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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a closed attraction, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated discussion over their destiny often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to China, the controversial amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are housed stated it would consider to end their lives unless the authorities funds the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that demand, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and group interactions suggest they are remarkably smart animals – something one caretaker observed directly.

She spent several years as a beluga trainer, a position that involved gaining confidence of the marine predators.

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

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the details and quirks in their characters. She cultivated a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing temperaments.

“Eve chose me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Both transformed the way I perceive relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

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

During her time at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the facility ascribes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say points to the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The facility did not open to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly effects of the closure. “Concrete is breaking off from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not respond to a inquiry, but previously stated: “The whales … obtain far better health care and around the clock attention than any individual in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in recent months following the passing of a beluga, an sick beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the park thought details of the incident were leaked to the media and she was let go soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left her and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “significant personnel”, equipment and heavy equipment.

“It cannot happen in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

She supports requests for the whales to be taken right away from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In late September, the nation’s government official rejected a bid to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a continued existence in captivity and a return to public entertainment,” the minister stated. “As the public, we know that marine mammals should be in the ocean, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an transfer that would prolong the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements indicate a broader incorrect perception of the circumstances of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers work to find a resolution, proposals have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has been most controversial. The future facility, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain positive that it could eventually represent a permanent answer for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the possibility of a refuge indicates a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a workable plan in the coming months.

An official, director of the plan, said the site will mimic the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|