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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a struggle between a closed attraction, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense debate over their fate often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the federal government prevented the transfer of the belugas to China, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to euthanize them unless the federal government funds the cost of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, problem solving and group interactions indicate they are remarkably smart creatures – something Kristy Burgess discovered first-hand.

She spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that entailed building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the nuances and quirks in their dispositions. She developed a particular love for two female belugas with opposing personalities.

“Eve chose me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Both transformed the way I view bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s connection with the whales progressed against a context of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her tenure at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park attributes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say indicates the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The facility did not operate to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the shutdown. “Structural materials is falling apart from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not reply to a request for comment, but earlier asserted: “The whales … obtain far higher quality veterinary services and around the clock care than any human in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in recent months following the demise of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected information of the death were shared to the media and she was released shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left her and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any attempts to put down even a one beluga would require “immense personnel”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

She backs requests for the whales to be taken right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a request to transfer the whales to China.

“To approve the application would have meant a ongoing existence in confinement and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official wrote. “As the public, we know that belugas belong in the ocean, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience approve an relocation that would continue the situation these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments indicate a more general incorrect perception of the facts of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities work to find a solution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A suggested sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received official endorsement, has shown to be most controversial. The future facility, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, is not yet built. Advocates remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a long term answer for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the possibility of a protected habitat reflects a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a viable solution in the near future.

An official, leader of the initiative, said the site will mimic the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales get from specialists, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|