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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute small “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a tussle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their fate often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the federal government blocked the transfer of the belugas to China, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to put them down unless the federal government pays for the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and group interactions point to they are deeply intelligent mammals – something one caretaker observed first-hand.

She spent several years as a whale caretaker, a job that entailed earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so astounded by the subtleties and unique traits in their characters. She formed a special affection for two female belugas with different personalities.

“Eve chose me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Each transformed the way I view bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales progressed against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her time at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, died. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the facility ascribes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say points to the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not open to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the cessation. “Structural materials is falling apart from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and move about with fragments in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not comment to a questionnaire, but previously stated: “The whales … receive far higher quality health care and 24/7 care than any individual in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in the spring following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the facility suspected information of the death were disclosed to the news outlets and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and current and former trainers in distress. She says the park’s warning to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any attempts to put down even a single beluga would require “significant personnel”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

She supports requests for the whales to be removed immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a request to send the whales to China.

“Granting the request would have meant a ongoing life in enclosure and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister wrote. “As society, we know that marine mammals belong in the sea, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience approve an relocation that would prolong the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reflect a broader incorrect perception of the facts of life for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities attempt to find a resolution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of food for Indigenous peoples.

A planned protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has been most controversial. The prospective site, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain hopeful that it could in time represent a sustainable resolution for some of the whales.

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

Others say the idea of a sanctuary indicates a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a feasible approach in the near future.

The project lead, leader of the plan, said the site will mimic the mental engagement and nutrition the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|