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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute little “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

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 advocacy groups.

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 living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities blocked the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are housed warned to end their lives unless the government covers the expense of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and social skills point to they are deeply intelligent creatures – something Kristy Burgess discovered personally.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a position that involved building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She formed a particular love for a pair of whales with different temperaments.

“Eve chose me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Both changed the way I understand relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales developed against a background of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her time at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the park links to age-related causes, but which advocates say reflects the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The facility did not open to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and move about with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not comment to a questionnaire, but in the past claimed: “The whales … receive far superior health care and constant care than any human in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in early March following the passing of Eos, an sick beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park suspected particulars of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was released not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the park’s threat to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any efforts to put down even a single beluga would require “significant personnel”, vehicles and specialized tools.

“There’s no way in hell the staff would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess supports requests for the whales to be transferred right away from the park, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a proposal to export the whales to China.

“To approve the application would have meant a continued situation in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister wrote. “As society, we know that marine mammals belong in the sea, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience authorize an relocation that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments indicate a broader misunderstanding of the realities of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities struggle to find a resolution, ideas have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received official endorsement, has shown to be most controversial. The planned facility, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain positive that it could eventually represent a permanent solution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the prospect of a sanctuary indicates a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a viable solution in the near future.

An official, head of the initiative, said the location will mimic the cognitive activities and diet the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|