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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable little “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a struggle between a closed attraction, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned debate over their future often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the Canadian government blocked the export of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near Niagara Falls where they are kept stated it would consider to end their lives unless the federal government pays for the upkeep of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and group interactions point to they are highly cognitive animals – something one caretaker observed personally.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a job that entailed gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She formed a special affection for two female belugas with contrasting natures.

“One whale selected me. The other required effort,” she said. “Each transformed the way I perceive bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales evolved against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her three years at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the park links to natural mortality, but which campaigners say points to the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The facility did not open to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the shutdown. “Concrete is breaking off from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and navigate with pieces in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not reply to a inquiry, but in the past claimed: “The whales … receive far superior health care and 24/7 attention than any individual in the UK, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in early March following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the facility believed details of the incident were leaked to the press and she was let go not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left her and staff members in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any plans to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “immense personnel”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess backs calls for the whales to be taken promptly from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In late September, Canada’s government official rejected a bid to export the whales to China.

“Allowing the application would have meant a perpetual life in captivity and a return to display for amusement,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that marine mammals are meant for the ocean, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an export that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reflect a more general lack of awareness of the circumstances of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers work to find a solution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A planned sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has shown to be contentious. The future site, which includes a large area of protected cove, is not yet built. Proponents remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a long term answer for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the possibility of a protected habitat indicates a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a workable plan in the short term.

The project lead, head of the plan, said the location will simulate the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|