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

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the intense controversy over their future often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government disallowed the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are housed warned to euthanize them unless the government funds the expense of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that demand, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and group interactions indicate they are highly cognitive creatures – something one caretaker discovered personally.

She spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a position that required gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so astounded by the details and quirks in their characters. She formed a particular love for two female belugas with different personalities.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Each transformed the way I understand connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales evolved against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her time at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the park ascribes to age-related causes, but which activists say reflects the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand effects of the closure. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and navigate with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not comment to a request for comment, but earlier asserted: “The whales … get far higher quality medical attention and constant supervision than any person in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in recent months following the passing of a beluga, an sick beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park believed information of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left her and staff members in anguish. She says the facility’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “immense manpower”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

She advocates for requests for the whales to be removed right away from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a bid to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the application would have meant a perpetual existence in enclosure and a return to display for amusement,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that belugas should be in the wild, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an export that would continue the situation these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks reflect a wider incorrect perception of the realities of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a resolution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has shown to be contentious. The future facility, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain positive that it could ultimately represent a sustainable answer for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the possibility of a sanctuary indicates a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a viable plan in the short term.

The project lead, director of the initiative, said the location will mimic the cognitive activities and diet the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|