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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute little “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a disagreement between a shuttered park, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the heated discussion over their future often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who see them each day.

After the federal government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are held warned to euthanize them unless the authorities covers the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and group interactions suggest they are deeply intelligent creatures – something Kristy Burgess discovered directly.

She spent several years as a whale caretaker, a role that entailed building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the subtleties and quirks in their personalities. She developed a particular love for two female belugas with opposing natures.

“One whale chose me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “They transformed the way I perceive connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales evolved against a context of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her time at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park ascribes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say reflects the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not operate to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes results of the closure. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and swim around with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not reply to a questionnaire, but in the past claimed: “The whales … receive far better medical attention and constant attention than any human in the Britain, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in early March following the passing of a beluga, an ailing beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the park thought details of the death were shared to the news outlets and she was let go soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the park’s warning to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any plans to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “considerable manpower”, trucks and machinery.

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

Burgess advocates for calls for the whales to be taken right away from the park, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official denied a proposal to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a continued existence in confinement and a return to public entertainment,” the minister stated. “As the public, we know that belugas should be in the ocean, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience approve an relocation that would continue the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments reveal a more general incorrect perception of the facts of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

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

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers struggle to find a solution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A proposed sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received official endorsement, has been highly debated. The future location, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a permanent answer for eight of the whales.

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

Others say the possibility of a sanctuary reflects a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a workable approach in the coming months.

The project lead, head of the plan, said the facility will simulate the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|