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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable little “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a worm. 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 disagreement between a closed attraction, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the heated controversy over their future often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the humans who see them each day.

After the national authorities disallowed the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled attraction near Niagara Falls where they are held stated it would consider to end their lives unless the authorities covers the cost of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and social skills indicate they are deeply intelligent mammals – something one caretaker learned personally.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a role that entailed building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She cultivated a special affection for two female belugas with contrasting personalities.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They altered the way I understand connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s connection with the whales evolved against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her three years at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility links to natural mortality, but which campaigners say reflects the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the closure. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and move about with pieces in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but in the past claimed: “The whales … get far superior health care and 24/7 care than any person in the Britain, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in recent months following the death of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park suspected particulars of the death were shared to the press 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 warning to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “significant personnel”, equipment and specialized tools.

“It cannot happen in hell the caretakers would ever do it,” she said.

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

In late September, Canada’s government official turned down a bid to transfer the whales to China.

“Granting the request would have meant a perpetual life in confinement and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that whales are meant for the sea, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing permit an transfer that would prolong the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reflect a wider lack of awareness of the circumstances of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a solution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of nourishment for local populations.

A proposed protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which now received government approval, has shown to be most controversial. The prospective facility, which includes a large area of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain hopeful that it could in time represent a long term resolution for a number of the whales.

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

Some experts say the possibility of a protected habitat indicates a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible approach in the coming months.

An official, director of the sanctuary project, said the site will mimic the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|