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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute little “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a tussle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their fate often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the federal government prevented the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are kept stated it would consider to end their lives unless the authorities pays for the upkeep of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, problem solving and group interactions suggest they are remarkably smart mammals – something one caretaker learned personally.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a job that entailed earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the details and quirks in their personalities. She formed a deep bond for two female belugas with different temperaments.

“One whale accepted me. The other demanded work,” she said. “They transformed the way I perceive relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales evolved against a context of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the facility links to age-related causes, but which activists say points to the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The facility did not open to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes effects of the closure. “Structural materials is breaking off from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and swim around with pieces in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not reply to a request for comment, but in the past asserted: “The whales … get far better health care and around the clock attention than any person in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in recent months following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected details of the death were leaked to the media and she was released not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left her and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any plans to put down even a individual beluga would require “considerable manpower”, equipment and machinery.

“It’s impossible in hell the caretakers would ever do it,” she said.

She backs requests for the whales to be removed immediately from the park, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

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

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a ongoing situation in confinement and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister wrote. “As society, we know that marine mammals belong in the sea, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing permit an export that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks indicate a broader misunderstanding of the facts of life for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a answer, ideas have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of sustenance for local populations.

A proposed sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which has received regulatory clearance, has been most controversial. The planned facility, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain positive that it could ultimately represent a long term answer for a number 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 untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the idea of a refuge reflects a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable plan in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, leader of the initiative, said the location will simulate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|