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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a tussle between a defunct facility, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned controversy over their fate often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government prevented the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to euthanize them unless the authorities covers the expense of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and social skills indicate they are deeply intelligent creatures – something Kristy Burgess discovered personally.

She spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a position that involved building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She formed a special affection for two female belugas with different natures.

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

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her tenure at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, died. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility links to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say indicates the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The facility did not operate to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the closure. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and swim around with fragments in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not comment to a questionnaire, but earlier asserted: “The whales … receive far superior veterinary services and around the clock care than any individual in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated 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 details of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was released soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and current and former trainers in despair. She says the park’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any plans to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “considerable staff”, vehicles and machinery.

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

She supports requests for the whales to be taken promptly from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In late September, the nation’s government official turned down a request to export the whales to China.

“Allowing the application would have meant a ongoing situation in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that whales belong in the ocean, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience authorize an transfer that would prolong the situation these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks indicate a broader misunderstanding of the realities of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities work to find a resolution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received official endorsement, has proven most controversial. The prospective facility, which includes a large area of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain positive that it could ultimately represent a long term resolution for some of the whales.

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

Some experts say the idea of a protected habitat indicates a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a workable approach in the coming months.

The project lead, leader of the sanctuary project, said the facility will mimic the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|