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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute small “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a tussle between a shuttered park, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned controversy over their fate often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the embattled amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are kept stated it would consider to put them down unless the government funds the expense of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and communal behavior indicate they are remarkably smart mammals – something Kristy Burgess discovered directly.

She spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a job that required earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the nuances and unique traits in their personalities. She developed a deep bond for two female belugas with opposing natures.

“Eve selected me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “They altered the way I perceive connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales progressed against a background of growing public opposition to their captivity.

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

The facility did not admit visitors to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the cessation. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and move about with fragments in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not comment to a questionnaire, but in the past claimed: “The whales … get far superior medical attention and constant care than any person in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in early March following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the facility believed particulars of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was let go soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and current and former trainers in despair. She says the park’s threat to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any efforts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “significant personnel”, equipment and heavy equipment.

“It cannot happen in hell the caretakers would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess backs demands for the whales to be taken immediately from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official rejected a proposal to export the whales to China.

“Allowing the request would have meant a continued situation in captivity and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official commented. “As society, we know that whales are meant for the ocean, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience authorize an transfer that would continue the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks reflect a more general incorrect perception of the circumstances of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers struggle to find a resolution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which now received regulatory clearance, has shown to be contentious. The planned site, which includes a large area of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a sustainable 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 “merely an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the possibility of a refuge reflects a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible plan in the near future.

Charles Vinick, director of the plan, said the location will simulate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|