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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable little “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a struggle between a closed attraction, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned debate over their fate often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the federal government prevented the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling attraction near Niagara Falls where they are housed warned to end their lives unless the government pays for the upkeep of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and social skills indicate they are highly cognitive animals – something Kristy Burgess discovered personally.

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

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the subtleties and quirks in their characters. She formed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting natures.

“Eve accepted me. The other required effort,” she said. “Each altered the way I view relationships.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her three years at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, died. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility ascribes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say reflects the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not operate to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and navigate with pieces in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not comment to a questionnaire, but earlier asserted: “The whales … receive far better medical attention and 24/7 attention than any individual in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the park in recent months following the demise of a beluga, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected details of the death were shared to the news outlets and she was let go soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in distress. She says the facility’s warning to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “immense manpower”, trucks and machinery.

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

Burgess backs demands for the whales to be removed immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a bid to send the whales to China.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a perpetual situation in enclosure and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that whales are meant for the wild, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in good conscience authorize an transfer that would continue the situation these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s statements indicate a more general misunderstanding of the facts of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities attempt to find a solution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has been highly debated. The future site, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, is not yet built. Advocates remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a permanent solution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer 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 refuge reflects a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable solution in the coming months.

The project lead, director of the sanctuary project, said the facility will simulate the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|