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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable little “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a struggle between a closed attraction, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned debate over their destiny often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities prevented the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are housed threatened to end their lives unless the authorities covers the cost of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and communal behavior point to they are highly cognitive creatures – something one caretaker observed personally.

She spent three years as a beluga trainer, a position that entailed earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the subtleties and quirks in their characters. She formed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing personalities.

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

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s connection with the whales developed against a background of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her time at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility ascribes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say points to the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The park did not operate to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly results of the cessation. “Structural materials is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and swim around with chunks in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but earlier asserted: “The whales … receive far better medical attention and constant attention than any person in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in recent months following the demise of a beluga, an sick beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park believed details of the death were leaked to the media and she was let go not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the park’s warning to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any efforts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “immense staff”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

She advocates for calls for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a proposal to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the request would have meant a perpetual situation in enclosure and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As the public, we know that belugas belong in the ocean, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an export that would prolong the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks indicate a more general misunderstanding of the realities of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a answer, proposals have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a key source of nourishment for local populations.

A planned refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has been contentious. The prospective facility, which includes extensive space of protected cove, is not yet built. Advocates remain positive that it could ultimately represent a long term answer for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the prospect of a protected habitat reflects a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable plan in the near future.

The project lead, head of the plan, said the facility will replicate the cognitive activities and diet the whales get 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|