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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a disagreement between a shuttered park, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the heated discussion over their fate often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the federal government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to end their lives unless the authorities pays for the expense of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and group interactions indicate they are deeply intelligent mammals – something one caretaker learned directly.

Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a job that required building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so amazed by the details and quirks in their dispositions. She developed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with different natures.

“One whale chose me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Each transformed the way I view relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s relationship with the whales evolved against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her three years at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, died. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say points to the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The park did not open to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the shutdown. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and navigate with pieces in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a inquiry, but previously claimed: “The whales … receive far higher quality veterinary services and 24/7 attention than any person in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in early March following the passing of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility believed information of the death were leaked to the media and she was released shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left her and staff members in despair. She says the park’s threat to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any attempts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “considerable staff”, trucks and specialized tools.

“It’s impossible in hell the employees 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 reduced personnel.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a request to send the whales to China.

“Granting the application would have meant a ongoing situation in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that marine mammals belong in the ocean, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in good conscience permit an export that would prolong the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements reflect a more general incorrect perception of the facts of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a resolution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has shown to be most controversial. The planned facility, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a sustainable answer for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ future.

Others say the idea of a protected habitat reflects a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a feasible solution in the short term.

Charles Vinick, head of the plan, said the location will replicate the mental engagement and diet the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|