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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a struggle between a shuttered park, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned debate over their future often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the people who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government prevented the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near Niagara Falls where they are housed threatened to put them down unless the government pays for the expense of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and social skills point to they are remarkably smart mammals – something Kristy Burgess discovered personally.

Burgess spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a role that entailed gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the details and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She cultivated a special affection for two female belugas with different temperaments.

“One whale chose me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “They altered the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

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

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the park links to natural mortality, but which campaigners say points to the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The facility did not admit visitors to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand effects of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the pools because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and navigate with pieces in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not comment to a request for comment, but in the past stated: “The whales … receive far higher quality health care and constant care than any individual in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the park in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility thought details of the death were shared to the media and she was let go soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “immense personnel”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

Burgess advocates for demands for the whales to be transferred immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official rejected a bid to export the whales to China.

“Allowing the request would have meant a continued life in confinement and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister stated. “As the public, we know that belugas should be in the wild, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience permit an transfer that would continue the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments indicate a wider lack of awareness of the facts of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a answer, proposals have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of food for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has proven contentious. The future facility, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Supporters remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a permanent answer for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the possibility of a protected habitat reflects a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable approach in the short term.

Charles Vinick, director of the initiative, said the location will replicate the mental engagement and diet the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|