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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a struggle between a shuttered park, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their fate often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the Canadian government prevented the transfer of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to euthanize them unless the authorities pays for the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and social skills indicate they are highly cognitive mammals – something a former trainer learned personally.

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

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so amazed by the details and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She developed a special affection for two female belugas with contrasting temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Each altered the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales evolved against a context of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her three years at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the facility ascribes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say points to the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not admit visitors to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand results of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not reply to a inquiry, but earlier stated: “The whales … get far higher quality medical attention and 24/7 care than any human in the Britain, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in recent months following the passing of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the facility thought information of the incident were disclosed to the press and she was fired soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the facility’s threat to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “immense manpower”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

She backs requests for the whales to be removed immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a proposal to transfer the whales to China.

“Allowing the request would have meant a continued life in enclosure and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister commented. “As Canadians, we know that belugas should be in the ocean, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an transfer that would prolong the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks reflect a broader misunderstanding of the facts of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a solution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A planned refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has shown to be highly debated. The future location, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, is not yet built. Advocates remain positive that it could eventually represent a sustainable resolution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the prospect of a refuge reflects a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable approach in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, leader of the initiative, said the location will replicate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|