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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a tussle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned debate over their destiny often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been carefully observed by the people who interact with them daily.

After the federal government blocked the transfer of the belugas to China, the controversial amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are held threatened to euthanize them unless the authorities covers the expense of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and communal behavior point to they are remarkably smart creatures – something Kristy Burgess observed first-hand.

Burgess spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that required building relationships of the marine predators.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the subtleties and unique traits in their dispositions. She developed a particular love for two female belugas with different natures.

“One whale selected me. The other required effort,” she said. “They altered the way I perceive connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s relationship with the whales developed against a context of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, died. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the park ascribes to expected lifespan, but which activists say reflects the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not operate to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and navigate with pieces in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but earlier stated: “The whales … receive far higher quality medical attention and constant supervision than any person in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in recent months following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the employees had to put down. She said the facility believed information of the incident were leaked to the news outlets and she was released shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in despair. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any attempts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “immense personnel”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess supports calls for the whales to be transferred promptly from the park, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

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

“To approve the request would have meant a perpetual situation in confinement and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister stated. “As society, we know that belugas are meant for the wild, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an export that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks indicate a broader lack of awareness of the realities of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers struggle to find a resolution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of food for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received official endorsement, has shown to be highly debated. The prospective facility, which includes extensive space of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain positive that it could ultimately represent a sustainable resolution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the idea of a refuge represents a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible plan in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, leader of the plan, said the site will mimic the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|