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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a tussle between a shuttered park, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their fate often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the people who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities disallowed the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are held warned to end their lives unless the government covers the expense of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and communal behavior indicate they are remarkably smart animals – something one caretaker learned personally.

Burgess spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a position that required gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. 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 wonderful and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She cultivated a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting temperaments.

“One whale selected me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They transformed the way I view connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales developed against a context of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her three years 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 recent years, a statistic which the park ascribes to natural mortality, but which advocates say points to the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the shutdown. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and swim around with pieces in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a inquiry, but earlier asserted: “The whales … obtain far better veterinary services and 24/7 attention than any individual in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in recent months following the passing of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility believed particulars of the death were disclosed to the press and she was released shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left her and other caretakers in anguish. She says the park’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any plans to put down even a one beluga would require “considerable personnel”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

Burgess backs calls for the whales to be taken right away from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

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

“To approve the proposal would have meant a perpetual life in enclosure and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals should be in the sea, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience permit an relocation that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements 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 confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers struggle to find a solution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A planned sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received official endorsement, has shown to be highly debated. The future location, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, is not yet built. Proponents remain positive that it could in time represent a sustainable resolution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the idea of a refuge reflects a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a workable solution in the coming months.

The project lead, leader of the plan, said the location will replicate the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|