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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a struggle between a closed attraction, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their future often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the controversial amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to euthanize them unless the authorities pays for the cost of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and social skills point to they are highly cognitive animals – something Kristy Burgess observed first-hand.

Burgess spent several years as a whale caretaker, a role that entailed gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

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

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the details and quirks in their dispositions. She formed a particular love for a pair of whales with opposing temperaments.

“Eve chose me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “They changed the way I perceive relationships.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s interaction with the whales developed against a context of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, died. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the facility links to expected lifespan, but which activists say reflects the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly effects of the shutdown. “Structural materials is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not respond to a inquiry, but previously asserted: “The whales … obtain far superior medical attention and constant supervision than any individual in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park thought details of the death were leaked to the press and she was released not long after.

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

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

Burgess backs demands for the whales to be transferred right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official denied a proposal to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a continued existence in enclosure and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister wrote. “As society, we know that whales should be in the sea, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience permit an export that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements reflect a broader lack of awareness of the facts of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a resolution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of food for Indigenous peoples.

A planned refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which now received government approval, has proven most controversial. The planned site, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain positive that it could eventually represent a long term solution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ future.

Others say the idea of a sanctuary reflects a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable approach in the short term.

An official, leader of the plan, said the facility will replicate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales get from trainers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|