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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming little “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a tussle between a shuttered park, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense discussion over their future often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the federal government blocked the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled attraction near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to end their lives unless the authorities funds the expense of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and communal behavior indicate they are highly cognitive creatures – something a former trainer discovered personally.

Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a position that required earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the details and quirks in their personalities. She formed a special affection for two female belugas with different natures.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Both transformed the way I view bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales developed against a context of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her tenure at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, died. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say points to the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The facility did not open to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but earlier asserted: “The whales … receive far better veterinary services and constant care than any human in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in early March following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the park thought information of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was let go not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left her and other caretakers in anguish. She says the facility’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “considerable personnel”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

She supports demands for the whales to be transferred promptly from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a request to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the request would have meant a continued life in captivity and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official commented. “As society, we know that whales should be in the ocean, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience permit an transfer that would continue the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reflect a broader lack of awareness of the realities of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a answer, proposals have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which now received regulatory clearance, has proven most controversial. The planned facility, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain optimistic that it could in time represent a permanent answer for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the idea of a refuge reflects a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a feasible approach in the coming months.

The project lead, director of the plan, said the facility will replicate the cognitive activities and diet the whales get from trainers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|