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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming little “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a disagreement between a closed attraction, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned debate over their future often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been closely studied by the people who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government blocked the sale of the belugas to China, the controversial amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the government covers the upkeep of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that demand, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and social skills suggest they are deeply intelligent animals – something Kristy Burgess learned first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a job that required building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the subtleties and quirks in their characters. She formed a particular love for two female belugas with contrasting natures.

“Eve selected me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Each changed the way I view connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales progressed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her tenure at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the park links to age-related causes, but which campaigners say reflects the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The facility did not operate to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and swim around with pieces in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not comment to a inquiry, but previously claimed: “The whales … receive far superior health care and around the clock care than any human in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in recent months following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected information of the incident were shared to the news outlets and she was fired not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and other caretakers in anguish. She says the facility’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any efforts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “considerable personnel”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

She backs calls for the whales to be taken promptly from the park, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

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

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a perpetual life in enclosure and a return to display for amusement,” the official stated. “As society, we know that whales belong in the sea, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience permit an export that would prolong the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks indicate a more general lack of awareness of the facts of life 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 human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a answer, proposals have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A planned refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received official endorsement, has proven most controversial. The future site, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain hopeful that it could in time represent a sustainable solution for a number of the whales.

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

Some experts say the prospect of a refuge indicates a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a viable approach in the short term.

Charles Vinick, director of the sanctuary project, said the site will replicate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|