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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable small “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a struggle between a closed attraction, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated debate over their fate often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities prevented the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are housed threatened to put them down unless the government funds the cost of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that demand, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and group interactions indicate they are highly cognitive creatures – something a former trainer learned first-hand.

She spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that involved gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

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

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the details and unique traits in their personalities. She developed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with different temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “They changed the way I understand bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales evolved against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her three years at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility links to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say reflects the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The park did not open to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly effects of the cessation. “Concrete is falling apart from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and move about with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but previously claimed: “The whales … obtain far higher quality health care and around the clock attention than any individual in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in early March following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the park believed details of the death were shared to the news outlets and she was released not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and current and former trainers in distress. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any attempts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “significant manpower”, trucks and machinery.

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

She backs calls for the whales to be transferred promptly from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a request to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the application would have meant a continued situation in enclosure and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that whales belong in the sea, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an export that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements reveal a broader lack of awareness of the circumstances of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As authorities attempt to find a answer, proposals have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of food for local populations.

A proposed sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received official endorsement, has shown to be most controversial. The prospective facility, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Proponents remain positive that it could in time represent a sustainable solution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the prospect of a sanctuary represents a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible plan in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, head of the plan, said the location will simulate the cognitive activities and diet the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|