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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable little “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a disagreement between a closed attraction, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned controversy over their fate often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the people who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government prevented the transfer of the belugas to China, the embattled amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are held stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the authorities covers the upkeep of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that demand, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and social skills suggest they are highly cognitive creatures – something Kristy Burgess discovered directly.

She spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a position that entailed building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so surprised by the subtleties and quirks in their personalities. She formed a particular love for two female belugas with opposing temperaments.

“One whale selected me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “They altered the way I view connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

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

During her three years at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, died. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the facility links to expected lifespan, but which advocates say reflects the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The park did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly consequences of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and move about with fragments in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but earlier stated: “The whales … obtain far better veterinary services and around the clock care than any individual in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in the spring following the demise of Eos, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the park thought information of the death were leaked to the media and she was let go not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and staff members in despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any plans to put down even a one beluga would require “immense personnel”, equipment and machinery.

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

Burgess supports calls for the whales to be removed immediately from the facility, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In late September, the nation’s government official rejected a request to export the whales to China.

“Allowing the request would have meant a perpetual situation in confinement and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that belugas should be in the wild, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing permit an transfer that would continue the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements reveal a broader misunderstanding of the facts of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities work to find a solution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A planned refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received official endorsement, has been highly debated. The planned facility, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a permanent resolution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the prospect of a protected habitat represents a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a workable approach in the near future.

The project lead, leader of the sanctuary project, said the location will replicate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|