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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute little “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a struggle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense discussion over their fate often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling facility near Niagara Falls where they are held warned to put them down unless the government funds the expense of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that demand, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, problem solving and social skills point to they are deeply intelligent creatures – something one caretaker learned personally.

Burgess spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that involved gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. 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 nevertheless surprised by the details and unique traits in their personalities. She cultivated a deep bond for a pair of whales with opposing natures.

“Eve selected me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Each transformed the way I understand relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

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

During her tenure at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility ascribes to expected lifespan, but which activists say indicates the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The park did not open to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly effects of the shutdown. “Structural materials is breaking off from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not reply to a inquiry, but previously asserted: “The whales … receive far higher quality health care and 24/7 attention than any human in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the park in early March following the death of a beluga, an unwell beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility thought particulars of the incident were leaked to the press and she was released not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s warning to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any plans to euthanize even a one beluga would require “significant staff”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

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

In late September, the nation’s government official denied a bid to send the whales to China.

“Granting the application would have meant a perpetual life in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As the public, we know that belugas belong in the wild, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing approve an relocation that would continue the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s statements reveal a more general incorrect perception of the facts of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

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

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a solution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of food for Inuit communities.

A suggested refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received government approval, has been highly debated. The future facility, which includes extensive space of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain optimistic that it could in time represent a long term resolution for a number of the whales.

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

Others say the possibility of a refuge represents a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable plan in the near future.

The project lead, director of the sanctuary project, said the location will replicate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|