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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming small “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a tussle between a closed attraction, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned debate over their future often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept warned to put them down unless the authorities funds the cost of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, problem solving and social skills indicate they are remarkably smart animals – something Kristy Burgess discovered personally.

Burgess spent three years as a beluga trainer, a position that required building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the details and unique traits in their dispositions. She formed a particular love for a pair of whales with contrasting temperaments.

“Eve selected me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Each altered the way I perceive relationships.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s connection with the whales evolved against a background of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her tenure at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, died. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility ascribes to natural mortality, but which activists say indicates the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The facility did not open to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is breaking off from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and swim around with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not comment to a request for comment, but earlier stated: “The whales … receive far higher quality health care and around the clock supervision than any human in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the park believed information of the incident were shared to the press and she was let go soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left her and other caretakers in distress. She says the facility’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any plans to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “immense personnel”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

She advocates for demands for the whales to be removed promptly from the park, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a proposal to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the request would have meant a perpetual life in enclosure and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that belugas should be in the ocean, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing authorize an export that would prolong the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks reveal a broader misunderstanding of the realities of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities attempt to find a answer, proposals have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A proposed refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which now received government approval, has shown to be highly debated. The future facility, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a sustainable solution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the idea of a sanctuary represents a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a workable solution in the short term.

An official, director of the sanctuary project, said the location will simulate the cognitive activities and diet the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|