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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a tussle between a defunct facility, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the heated debate over their future often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the people who see them each day.

After the national authorities disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are housed threatened to end their lives unless the federal government funds the cost of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and group interactions indicate they are highly cognitive animals – something one caretaker observed directly.

She spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that entailed building relationships of the marine predators.

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

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so surprised by the subtleties and quirks in their personalities. She formed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting personalities.

“Eve chose me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They transformed the way I understand bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her three years at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, died. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park ascribes to age-related causes, but which advocates say indicates the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The park did not admit visitors to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the shutdown. “Structural materials is falling apart from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and swim around with chunks in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not reply to a request for comment, but earlier asserted: “The whales … receive far better health care and around the clock supervision than any person in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in early March following the death of a beluga, an ailing beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the facility thought information of the death were shared to the press and she was let go soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any plans to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “significant staff”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

She advocates for requests for the whales to be taken immediately from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In recent months, Canada’s government official denied a bid to transfer the whales to China.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a perpetual situation in confinement and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that belugas belong in the wild, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing approve an relocation that would continue the situation these belugas have experienced.”

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

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities attempt to find a solution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of food for Inuit communities.

A planned sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which now received regulatory clearance, has been highly debated. The prospective site, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a long term solution for a number of the whales.

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

Some experts say the possibility of a protected habitat indicates a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a viable approach in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, head of the initiative, said the location will mimic the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales get from trainers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|