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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable small “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a disagreement between a closed attraction, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned debate over their destiny often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who see them each day.

After the Canadian government disallowed the sale of the belugas to China, the embattled attraction near Niagara Falls where they are held threatened to euthanize them unless the authorities funds the cost of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and group interactions suggest they are highly cognitive mammals – something a former trainer learned first-hand.

Burgess spent several years as a whale caretaker, a role that entailed gaining confidence of the marine predators.

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

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the nuances and unique traits in their dispositions. She cultivated a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting temperaments.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Both changed the way I perceive relationships.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales progressed against a background of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her three years at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility attributes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say indicates the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The facility did not admit visitors to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the cessation. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and swim around with chunks in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not respond to a inquiry, but in the past stated: “The whales … obtain far better medical attention and 24/7 care than any human in the Britain, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in recent months following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the park thought details of the incident were leaked to the news outlets and she was let go soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and current and former trainers in distress. She says the facility’s warning to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any attempts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “immense manpower”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

She supports requests for the whales to be removed immediately from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a proposal to transfer the whales to China.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a ongoing existence in captivity and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As the public, we know that belugas are meant for the sea, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in good conscience permit an export that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements reveal a broader incorrect perception of the facts of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers struggle to find a resolution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has shown to be most controversial. The planned location, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain positive that it could ultimately represent a long term answer for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the possibility of a sanctuary represents a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a workable approach in the coming months.

The project lead, head of the initiative, said the facility will replicate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales get from trainers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|