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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming small “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a disagreement between a defunct facility, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the heated debate over their destiny often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the people who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities disallowed the transfer of the belugas to China, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are held threatened to put them down unless the government covers the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and group interactions point to they are highly cognitive creatures – something Kristy Burgess discovered personally.

She spent three years as a whale caretaker, a role that entailed building relationships of the marine predators.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the details and quirks in their dispositions. She developed a particular love for two female belugas with contrasting temperaments.

“One whale selected me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Both transformed the way I perceive relationships.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales progressed against a background of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, died. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility attributes to natural mortality, but which activists say indicates the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The park did not admit visitors to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes results of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and move about with chunks in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not reply to a request for comment, but previously stated: “The whales … obtain far higher quality veterinary services and around the clock care than any person in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in the spring following the demise of a beluga, an sick beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the park suspected information of the incident were leaked to the media and she was released not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s threat to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any efforts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “considerable manpower”, equipment and specialized tools.

“There’s no way in hell the caretakers would ever do it,” she said.

She advocates for calls for the whales to be transferred immediately from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a proposal to export the whales to China.

“To approve the request would have meant a continued existence in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that whales belong in the sea, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience permit an transfer that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments indicate a more general lack of awareness of the realities of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers struggle to find a answer, ideas have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received government approval, has been contentious. The future location, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a sustainable solution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the idea of a protected habitat indicates a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a feasible plan in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, director of the initiative, said the location will simulate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|