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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a disagreement between a defunct facility, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated discussion over their future often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government prevented the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are held stated it would consider to put them down unless the authorities pays for the expense of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that demand, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and social skills indicate they are remarkably smart creatures – something a former trainer discovered directly.

She spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a position that entailed building relationships of the marine predators.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the nuances and unique traits in their characters. She cultivated a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting personalities.

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

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales developed against a background of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, died. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the facility attributes to age-related causes, but which advocates say points to the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The facility did not operate to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand results of the cessation. “Concrete is deteriorating from the pools because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a request for comment, but in the past asserted: “The whales … obtain far better medical attention and 24/7 attention than any person in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in early March following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the park suspected details of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was let go soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any efforts to put down even a individual beluga would require “considerable manpower”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

She advocates for calls for the whales to be removed immediately from the facility, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

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

“Granting the application would have meant a ongoing situation in captivity and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that marine mammals should be in the sea, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience permit an relocation that would continue the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reflect a more general misunderstanding of the facts of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a resolution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which now received government approval, has proven most controversial. The prospective location, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Proponents remain optimistic that it could in time represent a long term resolution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the possibility of a sanctuary reflects 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 simulate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|