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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute small “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a defunct facility, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense controversy over their future often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the Canadian government prevented the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to end their lives unless the authorities covers the upkeep of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and group interactions point to they are deeply intelligent mammals – something one caretaker learned directly.

Burgess spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a role that required building relationships of the marine predators.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so surprised by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She developed a deep bond for two female belugas with different natures.

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

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales progressed against a context of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park links to age-related causes, but which activists say indicates the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not open to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly effects of the shutdown. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but previously asserted: “The whales … obtain far superior veterinary services and constant attention than any individual in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in recent months following the passing of Eos, an ailing beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the park suspected details of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the park’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any efforts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “considerable personnel”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

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

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a bid to transfer the whales to China.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a ongoing life in confinement and a return to public entertainment,” the minister stated. “As society, we know that whales belong in the sea, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an transfer that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments reveal a broader lack of awareness of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers struggle to find a answer, ideas have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of food for Inuit communities.

A suggested protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which has received regulatory clearance, has proven highly debated. The planned site, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a long term solution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the idea of a protected habitat indicates a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a viable approach in the short term.

An official, director of the initiative, said the facility will simulate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|