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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute little “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but guardian-like companion. 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 enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a shuttered park, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their destiny often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near Niagara Falls where they are housed threatened to put them down unless the authorities funds the cost of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and group interactions suggest they are remarkably smart mammals – something one caretaker discovered directly.

She spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that required earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so amazed by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She developed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting temperaments.

“Eve chose me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Both altered the way I understand relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her tenure at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, died. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the park attributes to natural mortality, but which advocates say reflects the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The facility did not open to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the shutdown. “Structural materials is breaking off from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and navigate with chunks in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not comment to a questionnaire, but earlier claimed: “The whales … obtain far superior health care and around the clock attention than any individual in the Britain, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in early March following the demise of Eos, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park thought information of the incident were shared to the media and she was released shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s threat to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any attempts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “immense manpower”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

She advocates for calls for the whales to be removed promptly from the park, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In recent months, Canada’s government official rejected a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a ongoing existence in confinement and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals belong in the ocean, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing permit an transfer that would continue the situation these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reflect a broader lack of awareness of the realities of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers attempt to find a solution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of food for Inuit communities.

A suggested refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received government approval, has proven most controversial. The planned facility, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a long term resolution for a number of the whales.

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

Different voices say the idea of a refuge reflects a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible plan in the short term.

Charles Vinick, leader of the plan, said the location will mimic the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|