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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an charming small “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a tussle between a defunct facility, public officials and advocacy groups.

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

After the Canadian government prevented the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling facility near Niagara Falls where they are held threatened to euthanize them unless the authorities funds the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and communal behavior suggest they are deeply intelligent mammals – something Kristy Burgess discovered directly.

She spent several years as a whale caretaker, a position that involved building relationships of the marine predators.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so astounded by the nuances and quirks in their dispositions. She developed a deep bond for two female belugas with contrasting personalities.

“Eve selected me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “They altered the way I understand bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s relationship with the whales evolved against a context of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the park ascribes to expected lifespan, but which activists say points to the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The facility did not admit visitors to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand results of the cessation. “Concrete is deteriorating from the pools because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and navigate with fragments in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not comment to a inquiry, but previously stated: “The whales … get far better veterinary services and around the clock attention than any human in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in the spring following the passing of Eos, an sick beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the park believed details of the incident were shared to the media and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in anguish. She says the facility’s threat to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any plans to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “significant staff”, trucks and machinery.

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

She advocates for calls for the whales to be taken right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a request to export the whales to China.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a perpetual life in enclosure and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals should be in the sea, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing permit an relocation that would continue the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s statements reflect a more general incorrect perception of the realities of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a answer, ideas have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received official endorsement, has shown to be most controversial. The future site, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Proponents remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a sustainable solution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the idea of a sanctuary indicates a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a viable approach in the short term.

The project lead, head of the sanctuary project, said the site will mimic the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|