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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable small “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a tussle between a defunct facility, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the heated controversy over their fate often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities prevented the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled attraction near Niagara Falls where they are housed threatened to put them down unless the federal government covers the expense of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and social skills point to they are deeply intelligent mammals – something one caretaker learned first-hand.

She spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that required gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the nuances and quirks in their characters. She formed a special affection for a pair of whales with opposing temperaments.

“One whale chose me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Each changed the way I understand connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales progressed against a context of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her time at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, died. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park links to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say points to the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The facility did not admit visitors to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes effects of the cessation. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and swim around with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but in the past asserted: “The whales … receive far better health care and around the clock care than any person in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in early March following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park thought details of the incident were leaked to the press and she was fired not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and other caretakers in distress. She says the facility’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any plans to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “immense personnel”, trucks and machinery.

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

She advocates for calls for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In recent months, the nation’s government official turned down a proposal to send the whales to China.

“Allowing the application would have meant a continued life in enclosure and a return to display for amusement,” the minister stated. “As society, we know that marine mammals should be in the ocean, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience approve an export that would prolong the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements reflect a more general incorrect perception of the realities of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

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

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers struggle to find a resolution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of nourishment for local populations.

A planned sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which has received regulatory clearance, has been contentious. The planned site, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a long term answer for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the possibility of a sanctuary indicates a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible approach in the near future.

The project lead, director of the initiative, said the location will replicate the cognitive activities and diet the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|