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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute small “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a struggle between a shuttered park, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated discussion over their destiny often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the federal government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to end their lives unless the authorities pays for the cost of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that request, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and communal behavior point to they are highly cognitive mammals – something one caretaker learned first-hand.

She spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that required gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so astounded by the details and quirks in their personalities. She cultivated a special affection for a pair of whales with opposing temperaments.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “They transformed the way I view bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her time at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, died. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the park ascribes to age-related causes, but which activists say indicates the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The park did not admit visitors to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the shutdown. “Concrete is falling apart from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but previously stated: “The whales … receive far higher quality veterinary services and constant attention than any individual in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in the spring following the death of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the park believed particulars of the incident were shared to the media and she was let go soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the facility’s threat to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any attempts to put down even a single beluga would require “significant personnel”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

She advocates for calls for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official rejected a request to send the whales to China.

“To approve the application would have meant a ongoing existence in captivity and a return to performance for audiences,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that whales belong in the sea, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience authorize an relocation that would continue the situation these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks reveal a wider misunderstanding of the circumstances of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers attempt to find a resolution, proposals have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of nourishment for local populations.

A suggested sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has been highly debated. The planned site, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a long term resolution for a number of the whales.

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

Different voices say the prospect of a sanctuary represents a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a workable plan in the coming months.

The project lead, director of the plan, said the location will simulate the mental engagement and diet the whales get from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|