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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable small “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a tussle between a defunct facility, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the intense debate over their fate often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the Canadian government disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are housed warned to euthanize them unless the authorities funds the cost of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and communal behavior point to they are deeply intelligent mammals – something a former trainer discovered first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a role that involved building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the nuances and unique traits in their dispositions. She formed a special affection for two female belugas with contrasting natures.

“One whale chose me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “They altered the way I understand connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales evolved against a context of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her three years at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, died. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the park attributes to age-related causes, but which activists say reflects the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The facility did not operate to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly effects of the closure. “Concrete is breaking off from the pools because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not comment to a inquiry, but previously asserted: “The whales … get far higher quality health care and 24/7 care than any person in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in the spring following the passing of Eos, an sick beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park suspected particulars of the death were shared to the press and she was let go soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the facility’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any efforts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “considerable personnel”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

She advocates for calls for the whales to be taken promptly from the park, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In late September, the nation’s government official rejected a proposal to send the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a continued life in confinement and a return to public entertainment,” the minister stated. “As society, we know that whales are meant for the wild, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience permit an transfer that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks reveal a wider misunderstanding of the realities of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a resolution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has been contentious. The future site, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain optimistic that it could in time represent a long term answer for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the idea of a protected habitat represents a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable solution in the short term.

The project lead, director of the initiative, said the location will mimic the mental engagement and nutrition the whales get from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|