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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute small “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a tussle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the intense controversy over their destiny often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the people who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government blocked the transfer of the belugas to China, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept stated it would consider to put them down unless the government covers the expense of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and group interactions point to they are highly cognitive mammals – something one caretaker discovered personally.

She spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a job that required building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the subtleties and unique traits in their personalities. She cultivated a special affection for a pair of whales with opposing natures.

“Eve chose me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Each transformed the way I view relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales evolved against a context of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her time at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the park ascribes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say points to the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The park did not operate to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly effects of the cessation. “Concrete is breaking off from the pools because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and move about with fragments in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not reply to a questionnaire, but earlier asserted: “The whales … get far better medical attention and 24/7 attention than any human in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in the spring following the demise of a beluga, an sick beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the park thought information of the incident were leaked to the media and she was let go not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left her and staff members in anguish. She says the facility’s threat to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any plans to euthanize even a one beluga would require “immense manpower”, trucks and machinery.

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

Burgess supports requests for the whales to be transferred promptly from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In recent months, Canada’s government official denied a proposal to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a ongoing life in enclosure and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals are meant for the ocean, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in good conscience authorize an transfer that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s statements indicate a wider incorrect perception of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As authorities work to find a resolution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A suggested protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has shown to be contentious. The prospective location, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Proponents remain positive that it could in time represent a long term answer 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 “merely an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the prospect of a sanctuary represents a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a workable solution in the coming months.

An official, director of the plan, said the facility will mimic the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|