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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute little “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a disagreement between a closed attraction, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense discussion over their future often fails to consider the nuances 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 prevented the transfer of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are held stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the federal government covers the upkeep of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and communal behavior indicate they are deeply intelligent creatures – something Kristy Burgess learned personally.

She spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a position that entailed gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the details and unique traits in their dispositions. She cultivated a particular love for a pair of whales with opposing personalities.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Each transformed the way I understand connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales progressed against a context of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, died. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the park ascribes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say indicates the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The facility did not open to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and swim around with fragments in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not comment to a inquiry, but in the past asserted: “The whales … obtain far superior medical attention and around the clock attention than any person in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in recent months following the passing of a beluga, an ailing beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the facility suspected particulars of the death were disclosed to the news outlets and she was fired not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left her and other caretakers in distress. She says the facility’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any plans to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “significant manpower”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

Burgess supports calls for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In late September, the nation’s government official rejected a request to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the application would have meant a continued life in captivity 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 enjoyment. I could not in good conscience approve an relocation that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks reveal a more general incorrect perception of the realities of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials work to find a answer, ideas have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a key source of food for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has proven most controversial. The planned location, which includes extensive space of protected cove, is not yet built. Proponents remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a permanent resolution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the possibility of a sanctuary indicates a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible approach in the coming months.

The project lead, leader of the plan, said the location will simulate the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|