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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable small “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a shuttered park, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their destiny often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the people who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities prevented the transfer of the belugas to China, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept warned to euthanize them unless the federal government funds the upkeep of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, problem solving and group interactions point to they are deeply intelligent mammals – something a former trainer discovered directly.

She spent several years as a beluga trainer, a role that entailed earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those bonds 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 shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She cultivated a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing temperaments.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They altered the way I perceive bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales developed against a context of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her three years at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the facility links to expected lifespan, but which advocates say indicates the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The facility did not open to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the shutdown. “Structural materials is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and swim around with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not comment to a inquiry, but earlier claimed: “The whales … get far better veterinary services and 24/7 supervision than any human in the UK, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in recent months following the death of a beluga, an unwell beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the park thought details of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was fired soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the park’s threat to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “considerable manpower”, trucks and machinery.

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

She supports requests for the whales to be transferred immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official rejected a proposal to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the request would have meant a ongoing existence in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals should be in the sea, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an transfer that would prolong the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements reveal a more general lack of awareness of the circumstances of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” 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 struggle to find a solution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of food for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received regulatory clearance, has been highly debated. The prospective location, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain optimistic that it could in time represent a long term solution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the possibility of a refuge reflects a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a workable plan in the short term.

An official, leader of the sanctuary project, said the facility will mimic the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales get from trainers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|