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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming little “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a disagreement between a defunct facility, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated discussion over their future often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the Canadian government blocked the sale of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near the famous falls where they are housed stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the government covers the expense of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and communal behavior suggest they are highly cognitive creatures – something a former trainer discovered personally.

She spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that required earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the details and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She formed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “They transformed the way I view connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

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

During her time at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the park links to age-related causes, but which activists say reflects the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly effects of the cessation. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and navigate with pieces in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not respond to a questionnaire, but earlier claimed: “The whales … obtain far higher quality medical attention and constant care than any human in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in the spring following the death of Eos, an sick beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park thought details of the incident were leaked to the news outlets and she was released not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the park’s threat to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any efforts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “immense manpower”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess advocates for demands for the whales to be removed promptly from the park, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a request to export the whales to China.

“Granting the request would have meant a continued life in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that marine mammals should be in the sea, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience approve an relocation that would continue the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reflect a more general lack of awareness of the realities of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities struggle to find a answer, proposals have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received government approval, has been most controversial. The future site, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a sustainable answer for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the possibility of a protected habitat reflects a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a viable solution in the short term.

The project lead, leader of the sanctuary project, said the facility will replicate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|