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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute little “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a tussle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the heated debate over their fate often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up 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 China, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to put them down unless the federal government funds the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that demand, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and communal behavior suggest they are highly cognitive mammals – something a former trainer learned first-hand.

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

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She cultivated a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with different natures.

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

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales developed against a context of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her tenure at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, died. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the facility links to age-related causes, but which advocates say points to the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The park did not open to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand effects of the cessation. “Concrete is falling apart from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and move about with fragments in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not comment to a questionnaire, but previously claimed: “The whales … receive far better health care and constant attention than any person in the Britain, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in early March following the demise of a beluga, an unwell beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the park suspected particulars of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was released shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in distress. She says the park’s threat to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any attempts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “immense manpower”, equipment and machinery.

“It’s impossible in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

She advocates for requests for the whales to be removed immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the application would have meant a ongoing situation in captivity and a return to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that marine mammals belong in the sea, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in good conscience permit an export that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements indicate a broader incorrect perception of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As authorities struggle to find a resolution, proposals have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of food for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received government approval, has proven most controversial. The planned site, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Supporters remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a permanent resolution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ future.

Others say the possibility of a protected habitat reflects a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible approach in the short term.

The project lead, leader of the initiative, said the location will replicate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales get from specialists, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|