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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute small “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a tussle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the heated discussion over their fate often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled attraction near Niagara Falls where they are housed warned to euthanize them unless the authorities funds the upkeep of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, problem solving and communal behavior indicate they are deeply intelligent mammals – something a former trainer observed first-hand.

She spent several years as a beluga trainer, a role that entailed gaining confidence of the marine predators.

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

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so astounded by the details and quirks in their personalities. She cultivated a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting temperaments.

“One whale selected me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Each changed the way I perceive connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales developed against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the facility attributes to age-related causes, but which activists say indicates the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The facility did not admit visitors to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand results of the cessation. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being repaired. 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 respond to a questionnaire, but in the past claimed: “The whales … receive far superior health care and 24/7 attention than any human in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in recent months following the passing of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the facility believed information of the death were shared to the media and she was let go not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left her and staff members in distress. She says the park’s warning to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “significant manpower”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

She advocates for calls for the whales to be removed right away from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official denied a bid to export the whales to China.

“Allowing the request would have meant a continued situation in captivity and a return to display for amusement,” the official commented. “As Canadians, we know that belugas are meant for the wild, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing approve an relocation that would continue the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reflect a wider lack of awareness of the circumstances of life for belugas born in captivity.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers struggle to find a resolution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A planned protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received official endorsement, has been contentious. The prospective facility, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, is not yet built. Proponents remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a sustainable solution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the possibility of a refuge indicates a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable plan in the short term.

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