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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming small “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a disagreement between a defunct facility, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the heated controversy over their future often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the federal government prevented the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near Niagara Falls where they are held threatened to put them down unless the government funds the upkeep of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and communal behavior suggest they are highly cognitive animals – something a former trainer discovered first-hand.

She spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a position that entailed gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the subtleties and unique traits in their personalities. She cultivated a particular love for a pair of whales with contrasting temperaments.

“One whale selected me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Both altered the way I view relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales progressed against a context of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her three years at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the facility ascribes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say points to the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The park did not open to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes results of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and swim around with chunks in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but earlier stated: “The whales … receive far superior medical attention and constant attention than any human in the UK, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in early March following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the facility thought particulars of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was released not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left her and other caretakers in distress. She says the facility’s warning to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any attempts to put down even a one beluga would require “significant personnel”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess supports demands for the whales to be transferred right away from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

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

“Granting the application would have meant a continued life in confinement and a return to performance for audiences,” the official wrote. “As society, we know that whales are meant for the wild, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing approve an relocation that would prolong the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements reflect a broader misunderstanding of the realities of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers work to find a answer, ideas have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A proposed refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received official endorsement, has proven contentious. The prospective site, which includes a large area of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain positive that it could eventually represent a permanent answer for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s spoken with, 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 broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible solution in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, director of the initiative, said the location will replicate the mental engagement and diet the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|