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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming little “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal friend. 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 marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a struggle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense discussion over their destiny often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the humans who see them each day.

After the Canadian government prevented the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are held stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the authorities covers the cost of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that request, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and social skills suggest they are highly cognitive mammals – something one caretaker discovered personally.

Burgess spent several years as a whale caretaker, a role that involved gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the outset, 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 rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She formed a deep bond for two female belugas with different natures.

“One whale selected me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Both changed the way I perceive connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her tenure at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the park links to age-related causes, but which campaigners say indicates the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the cessation. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and move about with chunks in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not reply to a request for comment, but previously stated: “The whales … get far superior medical attention and 24/7 supervision than any individual in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in early March following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the facility believed information of the death were shared to the news outlets and she was released soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s threat to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any plans to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “significant personnel”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

She supports requests for the whales to be removed promptly from the park, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

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

“To approve the proposal would have meant a perpetual life in captivity and a return to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals should be in the ocean, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience permit an relocation that would prolong the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reveal a broader misunderstanding of the facts of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities attempt to find a resolution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A suggested sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which now received government approval, has been highly debated. The future facility, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain positive that it could in time represent a long term answer for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the possibility of a sanctuary indicates a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a workable approach in the short term.

Charles Vinick, head of the sanctuary project, said the site will simulate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales get from trainers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|