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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an charming small “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a tussle between a closed attraction, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned debate over their fate often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the people who interact with them daily.

After the federal government blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are held warned to euthanize them unless the government covers the expense of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and social skills suggest they are highly cognitive animals – something Kristy Burgess observed first-hand.

Burgess spent three years as a beluga trainer, a position that required building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. 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 wonderful and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She formed a particular love for two female belugas with opposing personalities.

“Eve accepted me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Both transformed the way I understand connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales evolved against a context of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her three years at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park ascribes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say reflects the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The facility did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the shutdown. “Structural materials is breaking off from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and swim around with pieces in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

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

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in early March following the demise of Eos, an ailing beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park believed details of the death were shared to the media and she was let go soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and other caretakers in anguish. She says the facility’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “significant staff”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess advocates for demands for the whales to be transferred immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In recent months, Canada’s government official turned down a bid to send the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the application would have meant a perpetual situation in captivity and a return to display for amusement,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that belugas belong in the sea, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in good conscience permit an transfer that would prolong the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reflect a wider misunderstanding of the circumstances of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities attempt to find a resolution, ideas have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a key source of food for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received regulatory clearance, has shown to be highly debated. The planned site, which includes extensive space of protected cove, is not yet built. Proponents remain positive that it could eventually represent a sustainable resolution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Others say the prospect of a protected habitat indicates a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible plan in the coming months.

The project lead, leader of the initiative, said the location will simulate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales get from specialists, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|