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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an charming little “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a disagreement between a shuttered park, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the heated discussion over their fate often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who see them each day.

After the federal government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to China, the controversial attraction near Niagara Falls where they are housed warned to end their lives unless the government covers the upkeep of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and social skills suggest they are remarkably smart mammals – something Kristy Burgess observed personally.

Burgess spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a job that involved gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

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

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the nuances and quirks in their personalities. She developed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing temperaments.

“Eve chose me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Each altered the way I understand relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

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

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the park links to natural mortality, but which advocates say indicates the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not respond to a request for comment, but previously claimed: “The whales … receive far superior medical attention and around the clock attention than any person in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in the spring following the death of a beluga, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility believed information of the incident were shared to the news outlets and she was let go soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left her and current and former trainers in distress. She says the park’s warning to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any efforts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “significant personnel”, vehicles and machinery.

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

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

In the autumn, the nation’s government official denied a bid to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the application would have meant a ongoing existence in confinement and a return to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As society, we know that whales are meant for the sea, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an export that would continue the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s statements reveal a wider lack of awareness of the facts of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

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

A proposed sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has shown to be most controversial. The planned site, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain hopeful that it could in time represent a long term resolution for a number of the whales.

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

Others say the idea of a protected habitat reflects a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a viable approach in the short term.

Charles Vinick, director of the plan, said the facility will simulate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|