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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a tussle between a closed attraction, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the intense discussion over their fate often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the people who see them each day.

After the federal government blocked the export of the belugas to China, the controversial amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are held stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the government pays for the expense of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and social skills indicate they are deeply intelligent animals – something a former trainer learned first-hand.

She spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a position that required gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the nuances and unique traits in their dispositions. She developed a deep bond for a pair of whales with opposing personalities.

“Eve selected me. The other required effort,” she said. “Both changed the way I view bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales evolved against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her time at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the park attributes to natural mortality, but which activists say indicates the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The facility did not open to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the shutdown. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and move about with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but in the past stated: “The whales … receive far higher quality veterinary services and 24/7 attention than any human in the Britain, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the park in early March following the death of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility believed particulars of the incident were leaked to the media and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and current and former trainers in distress. She says the facility’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any efforts to put down even a one beluga would require “significant manpower”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess advocates for demands for the whales to be removed promptly from the park, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a request to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a continued life in enclosure and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official wrote. “As the public, we know that marine mammals belong in the ocean, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an relocation that would continue the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements reflect a wider misunderstanding of the circumstances of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to realize 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 comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials work to find a answer, ideas have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for local populations.

A proposed protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received regulatory clearance, has been contentious. The future facility, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Proponents remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a long term answer for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the prospect of a sanctuary represents a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable approach in the short term.

Charles Vinick, head of the plan, said the facility will simulate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|