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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a tussle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense discussion over their fate often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities blocked the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are kept stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the authorities pays for the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, problem solving and social skills point to they are remarkably smart animals – something one caretaker learned directly.

Burgess spent several years as a whale caretaker, a position that required gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

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

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the details and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She developed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing temperaments.

“Eve chose me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Both changed the way I perceive relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales progressed against a background of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her three years at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, died. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the park attributes to natural mortality, but which advocates say indicates the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand results of the cessation. “Concrete is falling apart from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and navigate with chunks in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not comment to a questionnaire, but earlier stated: “The whales … receive far better medical attention and 24/7 attention than any person in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in early March following the passing of a beluga, an sick beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the park believed details of the incident were shared to the press and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and other caretakers in distress. She says the facility’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any efforts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “significant personnel”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

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

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

“Granting the request would have meant a perpetual existence in captivity and a return to display for amusement,” the official wrote. “As the public, we know that marine mammals should be in the wild, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an transfer that would prolong the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reflect a more general incorrect perception of the facts of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt 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 Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received official endorsement, has proven contentious. The planned location, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Supporters remain positive that it could ultimately represent a permanent resolution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the possibility of a sanctuary indicates a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible plan in the short term.

Charles Vinick, director of the plan, said the facility will replicate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales get from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|