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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable small “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a disagreement between a closed attraction, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated discussion over their future often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the humans who see them each day.

After the federal government blocked the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near Niagara Falls where they are held warned to put them down unless the government pays for the expense of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and communal behavior indicate they are remarkably smart animals – something Kristy Burgess learned first-hand.

Burgess spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that entailed building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so surprised by the subtleties and quirks in their personalities. She cultivated a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing natures.

“Eve selected me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Both transformed the way I perceive connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s relationship with the whales progressed against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her time at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which activists say reflects the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The facility did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes effects of the cessation. “Concrete is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and swim around with fragments in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not reply to a request for comment, but previously asserted: “The whales … get far better medical attention and constant care than any person in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in recent months following the demise of Eos, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the park believed information of the incident were shared to the media and she was released shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and current and former trainers in distress. She says the park’s threat to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any plans to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “considerable staff”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess advocates for calls for the whales to be transferred promptly from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

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

“To approve the proposal would have meant a ongoing situation in confinement and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that belugas should be in the ocean, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience permit an relocation that would continue the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements indicate a broader misunderstanding of the facts of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities struggle to find a answer, proposals have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A planned refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has shown to be contentious. The future facility, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain positive that it could ultimately represent a long term answer for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the possibility of a sanctuary indicates a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a feasible solution in the short term.

The project lead, director of the sanctuary project, said the site will simulate the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|