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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a disagreement between a shuttered park, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated controversy over their future often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the people who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near Niagara Falls where they are housed stated it would consider to put them down unless the government funds the upkeep of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and social skills suggest they are highly cognitive creatures – something one caretaker learned directly.

She spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that required earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She formed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting natures.

“Eve selected me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Both altered the way I perceive bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales developed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her time at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, died. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the facility links to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say indicates the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The facility did not open to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly consequences of the shutdown. “Structural materials is breaking off from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and move about with fragments in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not respond to a inquiry, but in the past claimed: “The whales … receive far superior medical attention and 24/7 attention than any person in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in early March following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected particulars of the death were disclosed to the press and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “considerable manpower”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

“It’s impossible in hell the staff would ever do it,” she said.

She backs calls for the whales to be taken promptly from the park, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

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

“Allowing the application would have meant a perpetual life in enclosure and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that marine mammals belong in the wild, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience permit an transfer that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reflect a more general misunderstanding of the facts of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a solution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a key source of sustenance for local populations.

A planned protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received regulatory clearance, has proven highly debated. The prospective location, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain hopeful that it could in time represent a sustainable resolution for eight of the whales.

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

Some experts say the prospect of a protected habitat indicates a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a viable approach in the near future.

The project lead, head of the initiative, said the facility will replicate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|