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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute small “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a struggle between a closed attraction, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense discussion over their fate often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the federal government blocked the sale of the belugas to China, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are housed threatened to put them down unless the government covers the expense of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and group interactions point to they are highly cognitive animals – something Kristy Burgess discovered personally.

She spent three years as a beluga trainer, a job that involved gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the details and quirks in their dispositions. She formed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with different natures.

“One whale selected me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Both changed the way I view relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales developed against a context of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her time at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, died. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park links to age-related causes, but which advocates say reflects the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The park did not open to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the cessation. “Structural materials is breaking off from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and navigate with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not respond to a request for comment, but in the past stated: “The whales … get far better health care and 24/7 attention than any person in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in early March following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park suspected particulars of the death were disclosed to the media and she was released not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and other caretakers in despair. She says the park’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any attempts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “considerable manpower”, vehicles and machinery.

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

Burgess backs requests for the whales to be taken promptly from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a bid to export the whales to China.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a ongoing situation in captivity and a return to public entertainment,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that whales belong in the ocean, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience approve an transfer that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s statements indicate a broader lack of awareness of the facts of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers struggle to find a resolution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A planned protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received regulatory clearance, has been most controversial. The prospective site, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Advocates remain optimistic that it could in time represent a long term resolution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the prospect of a refuge reflects a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a workable solution in the short term.

The project lead, director of the sanctuary project, said the site will simulate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|