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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute little “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a struggle between a shuttered park, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their fate often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the Canadian government prevented the sale of the belugas to China, the controversial amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are held threatened to end their lives unless the authorities pays for the upkeep of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and social skills point to they are deeply intelligent mammals – something Kristy Burgess observed directly.

She spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a position that required gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She cultivated a particular love for a pair of whales with different natures.

“Eve accepted me. The other required effort,” she said. “They altered the way I perceive relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales progressed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her three years at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, died. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the park attributes to age-related causes, but which activists say indicates the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The park did not admit visitors to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly consequences of the shutdown. “Structural materials is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and swim around with chunks in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not comment to a inquiry, but earlier stated: “The whales … get far superior health care and constant attention than any human in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in the spring following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the park suspected details of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was fired soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s warning to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “immense staff”, vehicles and machinery.

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

Burgess backs requests for the whales to be transferred immediately from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official rejected a request to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the application would have meant a perpetual existence in confinement and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official stated. “As society, we know that whales should be in the ocean, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an export that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks indicate a more general misunderstanding of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

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

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers work to find a solution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A planned refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received official endorsement, has been contentious. The prospective location, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain hopeful that it could in time represent a sustainable answer for eight of the whales.

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

Others say the prospect of a protected habitat represents a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a feasible solution in the near future.

The project lead, head of the initiative, said the site will replicate the cognitive activities and diet the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|