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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable little “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a disagreement between a defunct facility, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense discussion over their fate often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the people who interact with them daily.

After the federal government disallowed the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are held threatened to end their lives unless the federal government funds the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and social skills indicate they are highly cognitive animals – something a former trainer observed directly.

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

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the outset, 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 fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She developed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting natures.

“Eve chose me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Each altered the way I view bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales progressed against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her three years at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the facility links to age-related causes, but which campaigners say indicates the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The facility did not operate to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes effects of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not comment to a request for comment, but in the past stated: “The whales … get far superior medical attention and constant supervision than any individual in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in the spring following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the facility suspected details of the death were shared to the media and she was fired soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the park’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any efforts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “considerable manpower”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

Burgess backs calls for the whales to be transferred immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a request to export the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the request would have meant a continued life in confinement and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that belugas should be in the sea, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an relocation that would prolong the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements indicate a more general lack of awareness of the circumstances of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a solution, proposals have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of food for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which now received regulatory clearance, has proven contentious. The prospective site, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a sustainable resolution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the idea of a sanctuary represents a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a viable solution in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, director of the sanctuary project, said the location will simulate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|