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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute little “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a disagreement between a defunct facility, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated controversy over their future often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been closely studied by the people who interact with them daily.

After the federal government blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial attraction near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to put them down unless the authorities funds the cost of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that request, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, problem solving and communal behavior point to they are deeply intelligent animals – something Kristy Burgess observed directly.

Burgess spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a job that involved earning the trust of the sea creatures.

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

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so surprised by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She developed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with different natures.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Each transformed the way I perceive relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales progressed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her time at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, died. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the park ascribes to expected lifespan, but which activists say indicates the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The park did not operate to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the cessation. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and move about with fragments in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not reply to a request for comment, but in the past stated: “The whales … get far superior veterinary services and around the clock attention than any person in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in the spring following the demise of a beluga, an sick beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the park thought information of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was fired soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and staff members in despair. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “significant staff”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

She backs calls for the whales to be transferred right away from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a proposal to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the application would have meant a perpetual life in enclosure and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that whales belong in the ocean, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in good conscience permit an export that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements reflect a broader misunderstanding of the facts of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a solution, proposals have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of food for Inuit communities.

A planned refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has proven most controversial. The prospective location, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a sustainable solution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the idea of a protected habitat reflects a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a viable approach in the short term.

The project lead, head of the plan, said the site will replicate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|