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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable small “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a disagreement between a defunct facility, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned discussion over their future often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government prevented the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are housed threatened to end their lives unless the federal government pays for the cost of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that demand, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and communal behavior suggest they are remarkably smart mammals – something a former trainer observed first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a position that entailed building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the details and unique traits in their personalities. She formed a particular love for two female belugas with contrasting personalities.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Both altered the way I perceive connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s connection with the whales developed against a background of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility attributes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say points to the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the shutdown. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not reply to a questionnaire, but earlier asserted: “The whales … receive far higher quality medical attention and 24/7 supervision than any person in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in recent months following the death of Eos, an sick beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the facility believed details of the incident were leaked to the news outlets and she was released not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and current and former trainers in distress. She says the facility’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any plans to put down even a single beluga would require “significant staff”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

She backs requests for the whales to be removed right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official turned down a bid to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a ongoing life in enclosure and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that belugas are meant for the sea, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing approve an transfer that would prolong the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks indicate a broader lack of awareness of the facts of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a solution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a key source of food for local populations.

A planned protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has proven most controversial. The planned location, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Advocates remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a sustainable resolution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the prospect of a sanctuary reflects a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable solution in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, head of the sanctuary project, said the facility will simulate the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|