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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute little “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a tussle between a shuttered park, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the intense controversy over their future often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government prevented the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept warned to euthanize them unless the federal government funds the expense of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and social skills suggest they are highly cognitive animals – something a former trainer discovered personally.

Burgess spent three years as a whale caretaker, a job that involved building relationships of the marine predators.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so amazed by the nuances and unique traits in their characters. She cultivated a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with different natures.

“One whale selected me. The other demanded work,” she said. “They changed the way I understand relationships.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales developed against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her time at the facility, seven 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 facility attributes to expected lifespan, but which activists say points to the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The facility did not open to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand results of the shutdown. “Structural materials is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and navigate with fragments in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not reply to a questionnaire, but earlier stated: “The whales … obtain far higher quality veterinary services and around the clock attention than any human in the Britain, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in the spring following the demise of a beluga, an ailing beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected particulars of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was released shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the facility’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any efforts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “significant personnel”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

Burgess supports demands for the whales to be transferred right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official turned down a proposal to send the whales to China.

“Granting the request would have meant a continued life in captivity and a return to performance for audiences,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that whales should be in the sea, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience approve an transfer that would continue the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reveal a wider incorrect perception of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities attempt to find a solution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of nourishment for local populations.

A planned sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received official endorsement, has proven highly debated. The planned location, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Advocates remain positive that it could in time represent a long term answer for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the possibility of a protected habitat represents a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible plan in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, leader of the sanctuary project, said the facility will mimic the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales get from trainers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|