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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute small “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a struggle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned debate over their fate often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been closely studied by the people who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities prevented the sale of the belugas to China, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to put them down unless the authorities pays for the expense of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that demand, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and communal behavior point to they are highly cognitive animals – something one caretaker observed first-hand.

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

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the subtleties and quirks in their dispositions. She cultivated a particular love for a pair of whales with different natures.

“Eve selected me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Both transformed the way I perceive bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales evolved against a context of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her time at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, died. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a toll which the park ascribes to natural mortality, but which activists say points to 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 results of the cessation. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and navigate with pieces in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but previously claimed: “The whales … get far superior health care and around the clock supervision than any individual in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in recent months following the passing of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the park suspected information of the incident were shared to the news outlets and she was let go not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and other caretakers in anguish. She says the park’s warning to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any plans to euthanize even a single beluga would require “immense staff”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

She supports demands for the whales to be transferred immediately from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official rejected a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a ongoing situation in captivity and a return to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that belugas are meant for the sea, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in good conscience permit an relocation that would continue the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reflect a broader incorrect perception of the realities of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a resolution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of food for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which has received regulatory clearance, has shown to be most controversial. The future facility, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, is not yet built. Supporters remain optimistic that it could in time represent a sustainable solution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the possibility of a protected habitat indicates a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a workable approach in the near future.

An official, leader of the sanctuary project, said the location will mimic the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|