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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a struggle between a defunct facility, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated discussion over their future often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the federal government blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling facility near the famous falls where they are housed threatened to end their lives unless the authorities covers the expense of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that demand, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and communal behavior suggest they are remarkably smart animals – something one caretaker discovered directly.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a job that entailed building relationships of the marine predators.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so surprised by the details and unique traits in their characters. She developed a deep bond for two female belugas with different natures.

“Eve accepted me. The other required effort,” she said. “Each changed the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales developed against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her three years at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility attributes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say points to the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The facility did not open to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly effects of the closure. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and navigate with chunks in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not respond to a inquiry, but in the past claimed: “The whales … receive far superior veterinary services and 24/7 supervision than any human in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the park in early March following the passing of a beluga, an sick beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the park thought particulars of the incident were disclosed to the press and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any attempts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “immense staff”, trucks and machinery.

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

Burgess backs requests for the whales to be taken right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a bid to transfer the whales to China.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a ongoing life in confinement and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official stated. “As society, we know that marine mammals should be in the sea, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience approve an transfer that would prolong the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reflect a more general incorrect perception of the realities of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers struggle to find a resolution, proposals have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of nourishment for local populations.

A suggested protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received official endorsement, has shown to be most controversial. The prospective site, which includes a large area of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a long term resolution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the prospect of a sanctuary reflects a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable approach in the short term.

An official, leader of the sanctuary project, said the facility will replicate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|