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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but very loyal 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.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a tussle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned debate over their future often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government prevented the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are held warned to put them down unless the federal government covers the cost of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and social skills point to they are remarkably smart creatures – something a former trainer learned personally.

She spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that involved gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. 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 even so surprised by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She formed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with different temperaments.

“One whale chose me. The other required effort,” she said. “They changed the way I understand relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s relationship with the whales progressed against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her time at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the facility links to age-related causes, but which campaigners say points to the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The facility did not admit visitors to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and navigate with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not reply to a questionnaire, but earlier claimed: “The whales … get far superior veterinary services and 24/7 care than any person in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the park in early March following the passing of a beluga, an sick beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the park believed particulars of the death were leaked to the press and she was fired soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s warning to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “immense manpower”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

She backs requests for the whales to be removed promptly from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a proposal to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the application would have meant a ongoing life in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As society, we know that marine mammals should be in the ocean, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing permit an relocation that would continue the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments reflect a broader misunderstanding of the facts of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a solution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A planned refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has shown to be contentious. The future location, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Supporters remain positive that it could in time represent a permanent answer for eight of the whales.

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

Different voices say the prospect of a refuge indicates a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a workable solution in the near future.

The project lead, leader of the sanctuary project, said the location will mimic the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|