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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a disagreement between a shuttered park, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned controversy over their future often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are kept stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the federal government pays for the upkeep of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and communal behavior suggest they are remarkably smart creatures – something Kristy Burgess learned first-hand.

Burgess spent three years as a whale caretaker, a job that required earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the details and unique traits in their characters. She cultivated a special affection for two female belugas with opposing temperaments.

“One whale chose me. The other required effort,” she said. “They changed the way I view bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales developed against a background of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her tenure at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the park ascribes to expected lifespan, but which activists say reflects the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The facility did not open to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and swim around with fragments in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not comment to a inquiry, but previously claimed: “The whales … obtain far better veterinary services and around the clock attention than any person in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in recent months following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the park thought information of the incident were leaked to the news outlets and she was released shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the facility’s threat to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any attempts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “immense personnel”, trucks and machinery.

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

She backs requests for the whales to be transferred promptly from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In recent months, the nation’s government official denied a request to send the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a continued life in captivity and a return to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that belugas belong in the sea, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing approve an export that would prolong the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks reflect a more general misunderstanding of the realities of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers work to find a resolution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received regulatory clearance, has proven most controversial. The planned site, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain optimistic that it could in time represent a permanent resolution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the idea of a refuge reflects a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a workable approach in the near future.

The project lead, leader of the sanctuary project, said the location will simulate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales get from trainers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|