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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable small “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a disagreement between a shuttered park, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their destiny often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the people who see them each day.

After the national authorities disallowed the transfer of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to euthanize them unless the government funds the upkeep of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that demand, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and group interactions suggest they are highly cognitive creatures – something a former trainer learned personally.

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

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

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the details and unique traits in their characters. She formed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with different natures.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Each changed the way I perceive bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales evolved against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her tenure at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, died. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility ascribes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say reflects the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and navigate with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not comment to a questionnaire, but in the past stated: “The whales … obtain far superior medical attention and around the clock care than any individual in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in the spring following the demise of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility believed information of the death were leaked to the news outlets and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s warning to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “significant manpower”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

Burgess backs calls for the whales to be transferred promptly from the facility, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

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

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a perpetual existence in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that marine mammals should be in the ocean, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing approve an transfer that would continue the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

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

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities struggle to find a resolution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of food for Inuit communities.

A suggested sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received official endorsement, has proven highly debated. The planned site, which includes a large area of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a sustainable answer for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the prospect of a protected habitat reflects a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a workable solution in the coming months.

An official, head of the sanctuary project, said the facility will replicate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales get from specialists, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|