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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute little “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

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

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned discussion over their future often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the people who see them each day.

After the Canadian government blocked the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling attraction near Niagara Falls where they are housed threatened to put them down unless the government pays for the cost of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and group interactions indicate they are remarkably smart creatures – something one caretaker learned directly.

Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a job that involved building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so amazed by the subtleties and unique traits in their characters. She cultivated a deep bond for two female belugas with opposing natures.

“One whale selected me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Each transformed the way I view relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

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

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, died. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park links to expected lifespan, but which activists say points to the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not open to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but previously stated: “The whales … obtain far higher quality medical attention and 24/7 attention than any individual in the Britain, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in early March following the death of Eos, an sick beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the park thought particulars of the death were disclosed to the press and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the park’s warning to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any plans to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “immense staff”, trucks and machinery.

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

Burgess backs calls for the whales to be taken right away from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a request to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the request would have meant a ongoing existence in enclosure and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As the public, we know that belugas should be in the wild, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience approve an transfer that would prolong the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements reflect a broader lack of awareness of the realities of life for belugas born in captivity.

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

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers attempt to find a solution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. 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 suggested sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received government approval, has shown to be highly debated. The planned site, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain positive that it could eventually represent a long term resolution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the idea of a refuge reflects a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable approach in the near future.

Charles Vinick, leader of the initiative, said the site will replicate the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|