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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable small “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a disagreement between a shuttered park, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their fate often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities prevented the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are kept warned to end their lives unless the federal government funds the expense of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and group interactions point to they are highly cognitive mammals – something a former trainer observed directly.

Burgess spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that entailed earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so surprised by the subtleties and quirks in their characters. She cultivated a special affection for a pair of whales with different natures.

“Eve chose me. The other demanded work,” she said. “They altered the way I view relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

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

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility ascribes to age-related causes, but which activists say points to the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The facility did not admit visitors to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the shutdown. “Concrete is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and navigate with pieces in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not reply to a request for comment, but earlier asserted: “The whales … receive far better health care and 24/7 care than any person in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in the spring following the demise of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park believed particulars of the incident were disclosed to the press and she was let go soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left her and staff members in distress. She says the park’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any plans to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “immense staff”, vehicles and machinery.

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

Burgess advocates for demands for the whales to be transferred promptly from the park, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a continued existence in enclosure and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister stated. “As the public, we know that whales should be in the ocean, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an export that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reveal a broader misunderstanding of the circumstances of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a solution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A proposed sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has proven contentious. The prospective site, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Advocates remain hopeful that it could in time represent a long term resolution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the prospect of a refuge reflects a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable plan in the short term.

The project lead, leader of the initiative, said the site will mimic the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|