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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a struggle between a closed attraction, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the intense debate over their destiny often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the humans who see them each day.

After the Canadian government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are held stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the government covers the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and communal behavior suggest they are remarkably smart mammals – something one caretaker observed first-hand.

Burgess spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that involved building relationships of the marine predators.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so astounded by the nuances and quirks in their dispositions. She formed a special affection for a pair of whales with contrasting natures.

“Eve accepted me. The other required effort,” she said. “Each transformed the way I view connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales evolved against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the park ascribes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say points to the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The park did not open to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly results of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and move about with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not respond to a questionnaire, but earlier stated: “The whales … obtain far superior veterinary services and constant attention than any individual in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the park thought particulars of the incident were shared to the press and she was let go soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s threat to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “significant staff”, trucks and heavy equipment.

“There’s no way in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess supports requests for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

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

“Granting the application would have meant a continued existence in enclosure and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official commented. “As society, we know that whales belong in the ocean, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an relocation that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments reveal a wider misunderstanding of the realities of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a solution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of nourishment for local populations.

A suggested sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which now received official endorsement, has shown to be highly debated. The prospective location, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a permanent solution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the possibility of a sanctuary represents a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a viable plan in the short term.

An official, head of the plan, said the location will replicate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|