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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a closed attraction, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the intense debate over their destiny often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities blocked the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to end their lives unless the authorities funds the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that demand, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and social skills indicate they are deeply intelligent creatures – something one caretaker observed personally.

She spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that entailed gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the details and quirks in their characters. She developed a special affection for two female belugas with contrasting temperaments.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “They changed the way I perceive relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s relationship with the whales evolved against a background of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, died. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the facility links to expected lifespan, but which activists say points to the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The facility did not open to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes results of the cessation. “Concrete is deteriorating from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and swim around with fragments in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not reply to a questionnaire, but previously asserted: “The whales … obtain far superior veterinary services and 24/7 attention than any person in the UK, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in recent months following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the park thought information of the incident were leaked to the media and she was released soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the park’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any attempts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “considerable manpower”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess supports calls for the whales to be taken promptly from the park, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

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

“Granting the application would have meant a perpetual life in enclosure and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals are meant for the ocean, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing permit an transfer that would continue the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reflect a more general incorrect perception of the circumstances of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats 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 straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers attempt to find a resolution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A planned sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received government approval, has shown to be contentious. The prospective location, which includes extensive space of protected cove, is not yet built. Advocates remain positive that it could in time represent a sustainable answer for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the prospect of a sanctuary reflects a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a feasible solution in the coming months.

The project lead, leader of the plan, said the location will replicate the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|