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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 wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

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

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned debate over their destiny often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the humans 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 held warned to end their lives unless the authorities funds the upkeep of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and communal behavior point to they are remarkably smart mammals – something a former trainer discovered first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a job that involved gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the subtleties and unique traits in their dispositions. She formed a special affection for a pair of whales with contrasting personalities.

“One whale chose me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Each altered the way I perceive relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales progressed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her tenure at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility links to natural mortality, but which campaigners say reflects the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The park did not open to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the cessation. “Concrete is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not respond to a inquiry, but in the past stated: “The whales … receive far better veterinary services and constant attention than any human in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in the spring following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the facility believed details of the death were leaked to the press and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and current and former trainers in distress. She says the park’s warning to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any attempts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “immense manpower”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

She supports demands for the whales to be taken right away from the park, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a request to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a continued existence in confinement and a return to display for amusement,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that belugas are meant for the sea, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in good conscience permit an transfer that would continue the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

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

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a answer, ideas have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received government approval, has been contentious. The planned location, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Advocates remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a long term resolution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the prospect of a protected habitat indicates a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable plan in the near future.

An official, director of the sanctuary project, said the facility will simulate the mental engagement and diet the whales get from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|