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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable small “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a closed attraction, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the heated discussion over their destiny often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the people who see them each day.

After the national authorities disallowed the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are housed stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the federal government funds the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and group interactions indicate they are remarkably smart mammals – something one caretaker learned personally.

She spent three years as a beluga trainer, a role that entailed gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She cultivated a deep bond for two female belugas with different personalities.

“One whale selected me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “They transformed the way I understand relationships.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales developed against a context of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her tenure at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, died. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility links to natural mortality, but which advocates say points to the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not admit visitors to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly results of the shutdown. “Structural materials is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and swim around with chunks in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not reply to a questionnaire, but previously claimed: “The whales … obtain far higher quality veterinary services and around the clock attention than any person in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in recent months following the demise of a beluga, an ailing beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility believed information of the incident were shared to the media and she was fired not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and current and former trainers in distress. She says the park’s warning to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “immense manpower”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

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

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

“Granting the application would have meant a perpetual life in captivity and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister stated. “As the public, we know that marine mammals belong in the sea, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing approve an export that would prolong the situation these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements indicate a broader misunderstanding of the realities of life for belugas born in captivity.

“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. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities work to find a resolution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of food for local populations.

A planned sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which now received official endorsement, has been highly debated. The prospective site, which includes a large area of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain positive that it could in time represent a long term solution for some of the whales.

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

Some experts say the possibility of a protected habitat represents a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a viable approach in the near future.

Charles Vinick, leader of the plan, said the location will simulate the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|