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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable little “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a tussle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their fate often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the Canadian government prevented the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled attraction near Niagara Falls where they are housed threatened to put them down unless the government covers the cost of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and communal behavior point to they are highly cognitive creatures – something Kristy Burgess discovered first-hand.

She spent three years as a beluga trainer, a job that entailed earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so amazed by the details and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She cultivated a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting temperaments.

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

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales developed against a context of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her time at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the facility ascribes to age-related causes, but which activists say reflects the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The facility did not admit visitors to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the shutdown. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and move about with chunks in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

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

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in the spring 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 news outlets and she was let go soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left her and staff members in despair. She says the park’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any plans to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “significant personnel”, equipment and machinery.

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

She advocates for calls for the whales to be taken right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the application would have meant a ongoing life in confinement and a return to display for amusement,” the minister commented. “As society, we know that whales belong in the wild, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience approve an relocation that would continue the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements indicate a more general lack of awareness of the circumstances of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers work to find a solution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of food for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received government approval, has proven contentious. The future facility, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain positive that it could ultimately represent a long term answer for a number of the whales.

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

Different voices say the prospect of a protected habitat represents a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable solution in the short term.

The project lead, director of the sanctuary project, said the site will replicate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|