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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute little “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a shuttered park, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned debate over their future often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the federal government prevented the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near Niagara Falls where they are housed threatened to put them down unless the government pays for the expense of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, problem solving and group interactions suggest they are deeply intelligent mammals – something a former trainer discovered first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a position that entailed earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so surprised by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She cultivated a deep bond for two female belugas with opposing personalities.

“Eve chose me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They transformed the way I perceive connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales progressed against a context of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, died. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park links to age-related causes, but which campaigners say indicates the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The facility did not operate to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly effects of the shutdown. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and swim around with chunks in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not comment to a questionnaire, but previously claimed: “The whales … receive far higher quality veterinary services and 24/7 care than any person in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in early March following the passing of Eos, an unwell beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the park suspected information of the death were shared to the press and she was let go not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and other caretakers in anguish. She says the park’s threat to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “significant staff”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

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

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a bid to export the whales to China.

“To approve the application would have meant a ongoing situation in confinement and a return to display for amusement,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that belugas should be in the sea, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing permit an transfer that would prolong the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s statements indicate a more general incorrect perception of the circumstances of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities attempt to find a resolution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of food for Inuit communities.

A proposed protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has proven highly debated. The prospective location, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain optimistic that it could in time represent a sustainable resolution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the possibility of a sanctuary reflects a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable approach in the short term.

Charles Vinick, leader of the initiative, said the facility will replicate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|