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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable small “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated debate over their fate often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the people who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities blocked the export of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near Niagara Falls where they are kept warned to euthanize them unless the authorities pays for the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that demand, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and communal behavior indicate they are highly cognitive creatures – something Kristy Burgess discovered directly.

Burgess spent three years as a beluga trainer, a role that required gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the subtleties and unique traits in their personalities. She formed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing temperaments.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Each changed the way I understand relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales evolved against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her time at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the park attributes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say indicates the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not open to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand results of the shutdown. “Structural materials is falling apart from the pools because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but in the past claimed: “The whales … receive far higher quality health care and constant care than any human in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in early March following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the park suspected information of the death were shared to the press and she was fired not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the facility’s threat to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any efforts to put down even a one beluga would require “considerable manpower”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

Burgess backs requests for the whales to be removed right away from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

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

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a perpetual life in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As society, we know that belugas should be in the ocean, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing approve an relocation that would prolong the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments indicate a broader incorrect perception of the circumstances of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in captivity 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 straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As authorities attempt to find a answer, proposals have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of food for local populations.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has shown to be contentious. The prospective facility, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Proponents remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a sustainable answer for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the possibility of a refuge reflects a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a feasible plan in the near future.

Charles Vinick, director of the sanctuary project, said the location will simulate the mental engagement and diet the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|