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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a struggle between a closed attraction, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense discussion over their fate often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who see them each day.

After the federal government blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to euthanize them unless the government covers the expense of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and group interactions indicate they are remarkably smart creatures – something Kristy Burgess learned first-hand.

Burgess spent three years as a beluga trainer, a role that involved gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She formed a special affection for a pair of whales with opposing natures.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Each changed the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales progressed against a background of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility links to natural mortality, but which campaigners say reflects the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The facility did not open to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not comment to a questionnaire, but previously asserted: “The whales … get far higher quality veterinary services and constant care than any person in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an sick beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the park suspected particulars of the death were leaked to the news outlets and she was let go soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and other caretakers in distress. She says the park’s warning to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any plans to put down even a single beluga would require “significant personnel”, trucks and machinery.

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

Burgess advocates for requests for the whales to be transferred immediately from the facility, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In late September, the nation’s government official rejected a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the request would have meant a perpetual existence in confinement and a return to display for amusement,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that marine mammals are meant for the wild, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience approve an relocation that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reflect a more general lack of awareness of the circumstances of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials attempt to find a answer, proposals have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A proposed refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received government approval, has been contentious. The prospective facility, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain positive that it could eventually represent a permanent resolution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the prospect of a protected habitat reflects a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable solution in the short term.

An official, director of the sanctuary project, said the site will replicate the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|