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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute little “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a tussle between a closed attraction, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated controversy over their future often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been closely studied by the people who interact with them daily.

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

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and communal behavior suggest they are remarkably smart mammals – something one caretaker observed first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a role that involved gaining confidence of the marine predators.

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

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She cultivated a deep bond for a pair of whales with contrasting personalities.

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

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales evolved against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her time at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the park attributes to age-related causes, but which advocates say indicates the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The facility did not admit visitors to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not comment to a inquiry, but previously asserted: “The whales … receive far superior medical attention and 24/7 care than any person in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in early March following the passing of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility believed particulars of the death were disclosed to the news outlets and she was fired soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left her and other caretakers in anguish. She says the facility’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any attempts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “considerable staff”, equipment and machinery.

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

She backs calls for the whales to be taken right away from the park, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a request to export the whales to China.

“To approve the request would have meant a perpetual life in enclosure and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As society, we know that belugas belong in the sea, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience approve an relocation that would prolong the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks reveal a broader lack of awareness of the realities of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a resolution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of sustenance for local populations.

A planned protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which now received government approval, has proven highly debated. The prospective facility, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain optimistic that it could in time represent a permanent solution for some of the whales.

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

Some experts say the possibility of a sanctuary indicates a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a viable solution in the coming months.

An official, leader of the initiative, said the facility will mimic the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|