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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute little “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a disagreement between a shuttered park, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense discussion over their fate often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the people who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled attraction near Niagara Falls where they are held stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the authorities covers the expense of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that request, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, problem solving and group interactions suggest they are deeply intelligent mammals – something a former trainer observed personally.

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

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the subtleties and quirks in their characters. She cultivated a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing natures.

“One whale selected me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They transformed the way I perceive bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

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

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the park links to age-related causes, but which campaigners say indicates the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The facility did not admit visitors to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand results of the shutdown. “Concrete is deteriorating from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not reply to a request for comment, but previously stated: “The whales … obtain far superior veterinary services and around the clock supervision than any individual in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in the spring following the demise of a beluga, an sick beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the facility thought information of the death were leaked to the media and she was let go soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left her and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s threat to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any efforts to put down even a individual beluga would require “considerable manpower”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess supports calls for the whales to be transferred immediately from the facility, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In late September, Canada’s government official rejected a request to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the application would have meant a continued life in enclosure and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As the public, we know that whales belong in the wild, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing permit an export that would prolong the situation these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments reveal a more general lack of awareness of the facts of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials struggle to find a answer, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of sustenance for local populations.

A suggested refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has been contentious. The prospective site, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a long term solution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the prospect of a refuge reflects a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible solution in the short term.

An official, leader of the sanctuary project, said the site will replicate the mental engagement and diet the whales get from specialists, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|