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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute little “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a struggle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense discussion over their destiny often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the people who interact with them daily.

After the federal government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are held warned to euthanize them unless the federal government funds the upkeep of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that demand, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and group interactions suggest they are highly cognitive creatures – something a former trainer learned directly.

She spent several years as a whale caretaker, a job that entailed gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She cultivated a deep bond for a pair of whales with different personalities.

“Eve chose me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “They changed the way I understand relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

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

During her tenure at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility ascribes to age-related causes, but which advocates say indicates the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not operate to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and navigate with fragments in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but previously asserted: “The whales … obtain far higher quality veterinary services and constant attention than any person in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in early March following the passing of a beluga, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the park believed particulars of the death were shared to the media and she was fired soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left her and other caretakers in anguish. She says the park’s threat to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any plans to put down even a individual beluga would require “significant personnel”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

She backs requests for the whales to be taken immediately from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

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

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a continued situation in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals are meant for the wild, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience authorize an transfer that would continue the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reflect a broader lack of awareness of the circumstances of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers struggle 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 released into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of food for local populations.

A planned refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received government approval, has shown to be most controversial. The future location, which includes a large area of protected cove, is not yet built. Proponents remain positive that it could ultimately represent a permanent solution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the idea of a refuge indicates a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a workable approach in the near future.

An official, leader of the plan, said the location will replicate the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|