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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute little “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a struggle between a closed attraction, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense controversy over their future often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near the famous falls where they are held warned to end their lives unless the government covers the expense of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and group interactions indicate they are remarkably smart animals – something Kristy Burgess discovered first-hand.

She spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a role that entailed gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so amazed by the subtleties and quirks in their characters. She formed a deep bond for a pair of whales with opposing personalities.

“One whale chose me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “They altered the way I view relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales developed against a context of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility attributes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say indicates the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The facility did not open to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the closure. “Structural materials is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and swim around with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not comment to a questionnaire, but in the past stated: “The whales … receive far superior medical attention and around the clock care than any human in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the park in early March following the demise of a beluga, an ailing beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the facility suspected information of the death were shared to the media and she was fired not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and other caretakers in distress. She says the facility’s threat to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any plans to euthanize even a one beluga would require “considerable staff”, vehicles and machinery.

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

Burgess supports demands for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a request to export the whales to China.

“Allowing the application would have meant a continued life in confinement and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As the public, we know that belugas should be in the ocean, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in good conscience permit an export that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reveal a broader misunderstanding of the realities of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a resolution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for local populations.

A planned sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has proven most controversial. The future site, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Proponents remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a permanent resolution for eight of the whales.

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

Some experts say the idea of a sanctuary reflects a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a viable solution in the short term.

An official, director of the sanctuary project, said the site will mimic the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales get from trainers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|