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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming little “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a shuttered park, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated controversy over their future often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the people who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the embattled attraction near Niagara Falls where they are kept stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the government covers the expense of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and group interactions indicate they are deeply intelligent creatures – something Kristy Burgess observed first-hand.

Burgess spent three years as a beluga trainer, a position that required gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the nuances and quirks in their dispositions. She developed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting natures.

“One whale selected me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “They transformed the way I perceive bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales evolved against a context of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her tenure at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, died. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park links to expected lifespan, but which activists say points to the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The facility did not open to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the cessation. “Concrete is breaking off from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not comment to a questionnaire, but previously asserted: “The whales … receive far better veterinary services and 24/7 care than any human in the UK, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in early March following the passing of a beluga, an sick beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the park suspected details of the death were disclosed to the news outlets and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any plans to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “considerable personnel”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

She supports requests for the whales to be transferred immediately from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a request to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the application would have meant a perpetual existence in enclosure and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that belugas belong in the ocean, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an transfer that would prolong the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements reveal a wider lack of awareness of the realities of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers work to find a resolution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of nourishment for local populations.

A proposed refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which has received regulatory clearance, has been highly debated. The prospective facility, which includes a large area of protected cove, is not yet built. Supporters remain hopeful that it could in time represent a sustainable solution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Others say the possibility of a refuge indicates a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable approach in the near future.

The project lead, leader of the sanctuary project, said the site will mimic the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|