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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an charming little “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a tussle between a closed attraction, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense controversy over their destiny often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government blocked the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are held threatened to euthanize them unless the authorities funds the upkeep of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that request, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and group interactions point to they are deeply intelligent mammals – something Kristy Burgess learned personally.

She spent several years as a beluga trainer, a position that entailed gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so astounded by the details and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She cultivated a special affection for two female belugas with contrasting temperaments.

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

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales progressed against a background of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her tenure at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, died. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility attributes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say points to the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The park did not admit visitors to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the cessation. “Concrete is breaking off from the pools because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but in the past asserted: “The whales … obtain far higher quality veterinary services and constant supervision than any human in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in recent months following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the park thought particulars of the incident were disclosed to the press and she was let go soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in distress. She says the facility’s threat to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any attempts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “immense staff”, trucks and machinery.

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

Burgess advocates for requests for the whales to be taken promptly from the park, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In late September, Canada’s government official denied a proposal to transfer the whales to China.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a perpetual existence in captivity and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals are meant for the wild, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in good conscience approve an transfer that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements reflect a wider incorrect perception of the circumstances of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities work to find a answer, ideas have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received official endorsement, has shown to be most controversial. The future facility, which includes extensive space of protected cove, is not yet built. Advocates remain optimistic that it could in time represent a sustainable solution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the prospect of a sanctuary indicates a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible approach in the near future.

An official, leader of the sanctuary project, said the location will mimic the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|