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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable little “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a tussle between a defunct facility, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense discussion over their destiny often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the people who see them each day.

After the Canadian government blocked the export of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the government pays for the cost of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

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

Burgess spent three years as a whale caretaker, a position that involved building relationships of the marine predators.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the details and unique traits in their dispositions. She formed a deep bond for two female belugas with different temperaments.

“Eve chose me. The other required effort,” she said. “Both transformed the way I understand relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales evolved against a background of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her tenure at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, died. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the park attributes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say points to the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The park did not open to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the cessation. “Structural materials is breaking off from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not comment to a inquiry, but in the past stated: “The whales … obtain far superior health care and constant care than any person in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in recent months following the death of a beluga, an sick beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the facility thought details of the death were shared to the news outlets and she was released not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left her and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s warning to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “immense manpower”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess advocates for demands for the whales to be removed immediately from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In recent months, Canada’s government official rejected a request to transfer the whales to China.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a perpetual life in captivity and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official stated. “As the public, we know that whales are meant for the wild, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience permit an transfer that would continue the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reveal a more general lack of awareness of the circumstances of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials struggle to find a solution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a important part of food for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which now received government approval, has proven contentious. The future location, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Advocates remain optimistic that it could in time represent a sustainable answer for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the possibility of a refuge reflects a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable plan in the short term.

An official, leader of the plan, said the location will simulate the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|