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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a struggle between a closed attraction, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated debate over their future often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the federal government prevented the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are held threatened to end their lives unless the government pays for the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and group interactions suggest they are remarkably smart creatures – something a former trainer observed personally.

Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a role that required gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the nuances and unique traits in their dispositions. She formed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing temperaments.

“One whale selected me. The other required effort,” she said. “Both changed the way I perceive relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales evolved against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her time at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, died. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the park ascribes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say indicates the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not operate to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand results of the shutdown. “Structural materials is falling apart from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but previously asserted: “The whales … obtain far higher quality medical attention and constant attention than any individual in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in recent months following the passing of a beluga, an sick beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected information of the incident were shared to the news outlets and she was released not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left her and other caretakers in distress. She says the facility’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “immense personnel”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

She backs calls for the whales to be taken immediately from the facility, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a bid to send the whales to China.

“Allowing the application would have meant a continued situation in confinement and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official wrote. “As the public, we know that belugas should be in the ocean, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience authorize an transfer that would continue the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments reveal a wider misunderstanding of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities work to find a solution, proposals have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received government approval, has shown to be contentious. The planned facility, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain positive that it could ultimately represent a sustainable answer for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the idea of a refuge reflects a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a viable approach in the short term.

Charles Vinick, head of the sanctuary project, said the facility will mimic the mental engagement and diet the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|