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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable small “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a disagreement between a shuttered park, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the intense discussion over their future often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities disallowed the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near Niagara Falls where they are housed warned to put them down unless the government pays for the expense of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that request, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and social skills point to they are highly cognitive creatures – something a former trainer discovered first-hand.

She spent several years as a beluga trainer, a position that required gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the nuances and quirks in their dispositions. She developed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with different temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They changed the way I view relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

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

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the facility links to age-related causes, but which advocates say points to the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes effects of the shutdown. “Concrete is falling apart from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and swim around with pieces in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not respond to a inquiry, but in the past asserted: “The whales … get far better health care and constant supervision than any individual in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in the spring following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the facility thought details of the incident were shared to the media and she was released not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in distress. She says the park’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “considerable manpower”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

She supports demands for the whales to be removed right away from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a bid to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the request would have meant a continued existence in captivity and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that belugas belong in the sea, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience approve an transfer that would prolong the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments reveal a wider incorrect perception of the realities of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials struggle to find a solution, proposals have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of nourishment for local populations.

A planned refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received regulatory clearance, has shown to be highly debated. The future site, which includes a large area of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain positive that it could eventually represent a sustainable answer for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the prospect of a refuge represents a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a viable approach in the short term.

Charles Vinick, leader of the plan, said the site will mimic the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|