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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a disagreement between a defunct facility, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned debate over their destiny often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the people who see them each day.

After the federal government disallowed the sale of the belugas to China, the controversial amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are held threatened to euthanize them unless the government funds the expense of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that demand, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and social skills indicate they are remarkably smart mammals – something one caretaker observed personally.

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

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

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the details and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She cultivated a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting personalities.

“One whale selected me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They altered the way I understand relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales evolved against a context of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her three years at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility ascribes to age-related causes, but which activists say points to the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The facility did not operate to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the closure. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not reply to a request for comment, but previously claimed: “The whales … obtain far higher quality medical attention and around the clock care than any individual in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in early March following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the park thought details of the death were disclosed to the media and she was released soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in distress. She says the facility’s warning to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any plans to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “considerable manpower”, trucks and machinery.

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

Burgess supports calls for the whales to be transferred promptly from the park, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In recent months, Canada’s government official turned down a proposal to export the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the application would have meant a perpetual situation in captivity and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals should be in the wild, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience permit an export that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments reflect a wider misunderstanding of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities work to find a solution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of food for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received government approval, has been contentious. The planned site, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Supporters remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a long term resolution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the possibility of a sanctuary represents a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible solution in the near future.

Charles Vinick, director of the sanctuary project, said the location will replicate the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|