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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an charming small “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a disagreement between a shuttered park, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated debate over their future often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the Canadian government blocked the export of the belugas to China, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are housed threatened to put them down unless the government funds the cost of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and social skills suggest they are highly cognitive animals – something a former trainer discovered directly.

She spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a role that involved earning the trust of the marine predators.

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

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the nuances and quirks in their dispositions. She developed a deep bond for two female belugas with different natures.

“Eve chose me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Each transformed the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

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

During her tenure at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park links to natural mortality, but which advocates say points to the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The facility did not open to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the pools because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and navigate with pieces in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not reply to a inquiry, but in the past claimed: “The whales … receive far superior veterinary services and 24/7 attention than any human in the UK, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in early March following the demise of a beluga, an unwell beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected details of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was fired soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the park’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any attempts to put down even a one beluga would require “considerable staff”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

Burgess advocates for requests for the whales to be transferred right away from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In recent months, Canada’s government official turned down a request to export the whales to China.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a perpetual situation in enclosure and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that belugas are meant for the sea, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience authorize an relocation that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments indicate a more general incorrect perception of the realities of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities struggle to find a solution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for local populations.

A proposed protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has proven highly debated. The future location, which includes extensive space of protected cove, is not yet built. Advocates remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a permanent resolution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the idea of a protected habitat indicates a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a workable solution in the near future.

Charles Vinick, head of the sanctuary project, said the facility will replicate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|