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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a struggle between a defunct facility, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense debate over their destiny often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the people who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities prevented the transfer of the belugas to China, the controversial amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are kept warned to end their lives unless the federal government pays for the cost of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and communal behavior indicate they are deeply intelligent creatures – something Kristy Burgess learned personally.

She spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a job that involved gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the details and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She formed a deep bond for a pair of whales with opposing personalities.

“Eve chose me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “They altered the way I understand relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her three years at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, died. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say indicates the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The park did not admit visitors to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand effects of the closure. “Concrete is breaking off from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and move about with fragments in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not reply to a request for comment, but earlier stated: “The whales … receive far better health care and 24/7 attention than any individual in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in early March following the passing of Eos, an unwell beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the park believed information of the death were disclosed to the press and she was fired soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left her and other caretakers in anguish. She says the facility’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any plans to euthanize even a one beluga would require “significant staff”, trucks 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 right away from the park, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official denied a request to send the whales to China.

“To approve the request would have meant a ongoing situation in captivity and a return to display for amusement,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals should be in the wild, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience approve an transfer that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reflect a more general incorrect perception of the circumstances of life for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers work to find a answer, ideas have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a important part of sustenance for local populations.

A planned sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which now received official endorsement, has been most controversial. The planned location, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain optimistic that it could in time represent a sustainable answer for eight of the whales.

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

Some experts say the prospect of a protected habitat reflects a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a workable approach in the short term.

Charles Vinick, leader of the plan, said the site will replicate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|