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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a tussle between a shuttered park, public officials and animal rights activists.

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

After the national authorities blocked the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to end their lives unless the federal government funds the upkeep of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that demand, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and group interactions suggest they are remarkably smart animals – something a former trainer learned directly.

Burgess spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a position that required building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the nuances and quirks in their dispositions. She developed a special affection for two female belugas with opposing personalities.

“Eve chose me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Both transformed the way I understand connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s interaction with the whales evolved against a background of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, died. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility ascribes to natural mortality, but which activists say reflects the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the shutdown. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and navigate with fragments in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not reply to a request for comment, but previously claimed: “The whales … get far superior health care and 24/7 attention than any human in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in the spring following the demise of a beluga, an sick beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility suspected details of the incident were shared to the press and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left her and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s warning to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any attempts to put down even a single beluga would require “considerable manpower”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

She supports demands for the whales to be transferred promptly from the facility, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In recent months, the nation’s government official turned down a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a perpetual existence in confinement and a return to display for amusement,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that belugas are meant for the sea, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an transfer that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reflect a more general misunderstanding of the realities of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a resolution, proposals have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has proven contentious. The future facility, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a sustainable answer for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the possibility of a refuge indicates a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible solution in the short term.

Charles Vinick, director of the initiative, said the site will mimic the cognitive activities and diet the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|