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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute small “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a tussle between a closed attraction, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the intense controversy over their future often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who see them each day.

After the national authorities blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are held warned to end their lives unless the authorities pays for the cost of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and social skills point to they are highly cognitive mammals – something one caretaker discovered first-hand.

Burgess spent several years as a whale caretaker, a role that required building relationships of the aquatic animals.

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

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the details and unique traits in their dispositions. She developed a deep bond for two female belugas with different temperaments.

“One whale chose me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Both altered the way I understand relationships.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her tenure at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility attributes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say points to the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

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

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but previously asserted: “The whales … receive far better medical attention and around the clock care than any person in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in early March following the death of a beluga, an unwell beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the park suspected particulars of the death were disclosed to the media and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and other caretakers in anguish. She says the facility’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any efforts to put down even a one beluga would require “significant personnel”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

Burgess backs demands for the whales to be transferred right away from the facility, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a perpetual existence in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the official commented. “As society, we know that whales are meant for the ocean, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing authorize an relocation that would prolong the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements reflect a more general lack of awareness of the realities of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials struggle to find a answer, ideas have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received official endorsement, has been most controversial. The planned site, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Proponents remain positive that it could ultimately represent a sustainable 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 “merely an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the prospect of a refuge represents a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible solution in the short term.

Charles Vinick, director of the initiative, said the location will mimic the mental engagement and nutrition the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|