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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable little “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a closed attraction, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense controversy 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 blocked the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near Niagara Falls where they are held threatened to end their lives unless the government funds the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and group interactions indicate they are deeply intelligent mammals – something a former trainer observed directly.

Burgess spent three years as a beluga trainer, a position that involved gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so surprised by the nuances and quirks in their personalities. She formed a particular love for a pair of whales with different natures.

“Eve accepted me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Each altered the way I understand bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales evolved 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, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility attributes to age-related causes, but which activists say points to the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not open to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes results of the shutdown. “Concrete is breaking off from the pools because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and swim around with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not reply to a questionnaire, but previously claimed: “The whales … get far better medical attention and 24/7 supervision than any individual in the UK, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in early March following the demise of a beluga, an sick beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the park suspected details of the incident were shared to the media and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left her and other caretakers in despair. She says the park’s warning to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any plans to put down even a single beluga would require “significant personnel”, trucks and heavy equipment.

“It’s impossible in hell the staff would ever do it,” she said.

She backs calls for the whales to be removed promptly from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official denied a proposal to export the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the application would have meant a perpetual existence in confinement and a return to display for amusement,” the minister stated. “As the public, we know that belugas should be in the sea, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing approve an export that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have endured.”

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

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers work to find a solution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received government approval, has proven contentious. The future facility, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a permanent resolution for a number of the whales.

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

Different voices say the possibility of a sanctuary represents a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable plan in the coming months.

The project lead, director of the plan, said the location will mimic the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|