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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable small “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a tussle between a defunct facility, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense discussion over their destiny often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who see them each day.

After the Canadian government disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are held stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the federal government funds the cost of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and group interactions indicate they are highly cognitive animals – something one caretaker learned personally.

Burgess spent three years as a beluga trainer, a role that required earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the nuances and unique traits in their dispositions. She developed a special affection for a pair of whales with contrasting natures.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “They altered the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales progressed against a context of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her tenure at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, died. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the park attributes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say reflects the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The facility did not operate to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand results of the closure. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and move about with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not reply to a questionnaire, but previously claimed: “The whales … obtain far superior medical attention and constant care than any person in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in early March following the death of a beluga, an ailing beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the park suspected particulars of the incident were leaked to the news outlets and she was let go not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and current and former trainers in distress. She says the facility’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any plans to euthanize even a one beluga would require “immense staff”, trucks and machinery.

“It cannot happen in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

She backs demands for the whales to be transferred immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the request would have meant a ongoing situation in enclosure and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister stated. “As the public, we know that marine mammals are meant for the wild, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience permit an transfer that would prolong the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks indicate a broader incorrect perception of the facts of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a resolution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for local populations.

A planned refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which now received official endorsement, has proven highly debated. The prospective location, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain hopeful that it could in time represent a permanent resolution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ future.

Others say the idea of a protected habitat represents a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible plan in the short term.

Charles Vinick, head of the initiative, said the facility will replicate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|