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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable small “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a tussle between a shuttered park, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the heated discussion over their destiny often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the people who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government blocked the export of the belugas to China, the embattled amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are held threatened to end their lives unless the authorities funds the expense of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and social skills suggest they are remarkably smart mammals – something one caretaker observed first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a job that involved earning the trust of the sea creatures.

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

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the details and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She cultivated a deep bond for a pair of whales with contrasting personalities.

“Eve chose me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Each changed the way I understand connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s interaction with the whales progressed against a context of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the park attributes to age-related causes, but which activists say points to the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The facility did not operate to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand results of the shutdown. “Structural materials is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and swim around with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not comment to a inquiry, but in the past stated: “The whales … get far higher quality health care and constant attention than any individual in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in recent months following the demise of a beluga, an unwell beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the park believed particulars of the incident were leaked to the media and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left her and other caretakers in distress. She says the park’s threat to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any plans to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “significant manpower”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

She backs calls for the whales to be transferred immediately from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In late September, the nation’s government official turned down a proposal to export the whales to China.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a ongoing life in confinement and a return to display for amusement,” the official stated. “As the public, we know that belugas are meant for the sea, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in good conscience authorize an export that would prolong the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments reveal a wider incorrect perception of the facts of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers struggle to find a solution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a key source of food for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which has received regulatory clearance, has proven highly debated. The prospective facility, which includes a large area of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a sustainable solution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the possibility of a refuge reflects a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a viable solution in the short term.

Charles Vinick, head of the initiative, said the site will mimic the mental engagement and nutrition the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|