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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an charming small “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a struggle between a closed attraction, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense discussion over their destiny often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to put them down unless the federal government covers the expense of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that demand, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and social skills point to they are deeply intelligent mammals – something Kristy Burgess observed personally.

She spent three years as a beluga trainer, a position that entailed gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. 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 even so amazed by the details and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She formed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with different personalities.

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

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales developed against a context of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her time at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the facility links to natural mortality, but which campaigners say points to the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The facility did not admit visitors to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the closure. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory 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 request for comment, but previously claimed: “The whales … obtain far higher quality health care and constant care than any human in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in recent months following the passing of Eos, an sick beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park suspected details of the incident were shared to the media and she was fired not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s threat to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “considerable staff”, equipment and machinery.

“It cannot happen in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

She advocates for calls for the whales to be removed right away from the park, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In recent months, Canada’s government official rejected a proposal to send the whales to China.

“To approve the application would have meant a ongoing life in captivity and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that whales should be in the wild, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in good conscience permit an export that would prolong the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reflect a broader misunderstanding of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials struggle to find a solution, proposals have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of food for local populations.

A suggested protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received regulatory clearance, has proven most controversial. The planned site, which includes extensive space of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a permanent solution 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 “simply an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the idea of a protected habitat represents a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable approach in the near future.

An official, director of the initiative, said the site will simulate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales receive 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|