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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an charming little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a shuttered park, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense debate over their fate often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities prevented the export of the belugas to China, the controversial attraction near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to end their lives unless the government funds the cost of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and communal behavior indicate they are remarkably smart creatures – something one caretaker discovered directly.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a job that entailed earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the details and quirks in their personalities. She developed a particular love for a pair of whales with different natures.

“One whale accepted me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Each transformed the way I understand connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales progressed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her time at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, died. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility ascribes to natural mortality, but which advocates say reflects the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The facility did not admit visitors to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly results of the cessation. “Structural materials is breaking off from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and move about with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not comment to a questionnaire, but previously stated: “The whales … get far better health care and constant supervision than any human in the UK, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in recent months following the demise of a beluga, an unwell beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the park thought information of the death were shared to the news outlets and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and staff members in despair. She says the park’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any plans to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “considerable manpower”, equipment and machinery.

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

Burgess advocates for requests for the whales to be transferred immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a request to export the whales to China.

“Allowing the application would have meant a perpetual situation in confinement and a return to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that marine mammals should be in the wild, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience permit an transfer that would prolong the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements indicate a wider lack of awareness of the facts of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities work to find a resolution, ideas have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of food for Inuit communities.

A suggested protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which has received regulatory clearance, has been highly debated. The future facility, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain positive that it could in time represent a permanent resolution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ future.

Others say the prospect of a sanctuary represents a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a workable solution in the near future.

An official, leader of the plan, said the facility will mimic the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|