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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an charming little “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a tussle between a defunct facility, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the heated discussion over their fate often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been carefully observed by the people who see them each day.

After the national authorities blocked the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are held threatened to end their lives unless the federal government funds the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and social skills indicate they are highly cognitive creatures – something a former trainer learned directly.

Burgess spent three years as a beluga trainer, a role that entailed building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the nuances and unique traits in their dispositions. She cultivated a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing personalities.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Both altered the way I perceive bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales developed against a context of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her three years at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, died. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility links to natural mortality, but which advocates say indicates the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The facility did not open to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and swim around with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not reply to a questionnaire, but previously claimed: “The whales … receive far better health care and constant supervision than any individual in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in early March following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the facility thought information of the death were disclosed to the news outlets and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left her and other caretakers in anguish. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any plans to put down even a single beluga would require “considerable personnel”, equipment and specialized tools.

“There’s no way in hell the staff would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess supports requests for the whales to be removed right away from the park, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a request to export the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the request would have meant a perpetual existence in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that belugas should be in the wild, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing approve an transfer that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments reflect a more general incorrect perception of the facts of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a answer, ideas have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of nourishment for local populations.

A suggested protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has shown to be most controversial. The prospective site, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain hopeful that it could in time represent a permanent resolution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the idea of a refuge reflects a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible plan in the short term.

Charles Vinick, head of the sanctuary project, said the location will mimic the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|