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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable little “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a disagreement between a closed attraction, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the intense controversy over their fate often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the people who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities disallowed the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near Niagara Falls where they are kept warned to euthanize them unless the government covers the expense of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that demand, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, problem solving and social skills suggest they are highly cognitive creatures – something Kristy Burgess observed first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a role that required gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so astounded by the details and unique traits in their dispositions. She cultivated a deep bond for two female belugas with contrasting natures.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Both altered the way I understand connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s interaction with the whales evolved against a background of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility attributes to natural mortality, but which activists say indicates the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes effects of the shutdown. “Structural materials is breaking off from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and swim around with fragments in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but previously claimed: “The whales … obtain far higher quality veterinary services and around the clock supervision than any individual in the Britain, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the park in the spring following the passing of Eos, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park believed information of the death were leaked to the press and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and other caretakers in anguish. She says the park’s threat to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any plans to put down even a one beluga would require “considerable manpower”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess supports demands for the whales to be removed promptly from the park, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In recent months, the nation’s government official rejected a proposal to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a ongoing existence in captivity and a return to display for amusement,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that belugas are meant for the wild, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an transfer that would prolong the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks reveal a wider misunderstanding of the facts of existence for belugas born in captivity.

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

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a answer, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A suggested protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received regulatory clearance, has proven highly debated. The prospective facility, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a long term resolution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the possibility of a protected habitat reflects a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a workable solution in the coming months.

An official, leader of the sanctuary project, said the facility will mimic the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales get from specialists, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|