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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute little “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled 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 destiny often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the federal government disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled attraction near Niagara Falls where they are housed warned to end their lives unless the government covers the expense of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and communal behavior suggest they are deeply intelligent animals – something Kristy Burgess observed directly.

She spent three years as a whale caretaker, a job that involved gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She cultivated a deep bond for two female belugas with opposing personalities.

“One whale chose me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Both changed the way I perceive connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her tenure at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, died. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility links to natural mortality, but which advocates say points to the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The park did not operate to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the cessation. “Concrete is falling apart from the pools because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and navigate with pieces in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not respond to a inquiry, but in the past asserted: “The whales … get far superior veterinary services and around the clock care than any human in the Britain, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in early March following the demise of a beluga, an sick beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility thought details of the incident were shared to the press and she was fired soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the park’s warning to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any plans to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “considerable personnel”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

She supports calls for the whales to be removed immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official denied a bid to export the whales to China.

“Allowing the request would have meant a perpetual existence in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that marine mammals should be in the wild, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing approve an transfer that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements reflect a broader misunderstanding of the facts of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers work to find a resolution, ideas have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a key source of nourishment for local populations.

A proposed refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received government approval, has proven contentious. The prospective location, which includes a large area of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain positive that it could ultimately represent a long term answer for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the possibility of a protected habitat represents a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a workable plan in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, director of the plan, said the site will replicate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|