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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable small “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a disagreement between a shuttered park, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense debate over their future often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been closely studied by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the federal government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to China, the embattled amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are kept stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the federal government covers the upkeep of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and group interactions indicate they are deeply intelligent mammals – something Kristy Burgess discovered directly.

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

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. 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.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the subtleties and unique traits in their characters. She developed a particular love for a pair of whales with different natures.

“One whale accepted me. The other required effort,” she said. “Both transformed the way I view bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales progressed against a background of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility attributes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say reflects the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The park did not operate to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly effects of the shutdown. “Concrete is falling apart from the pools because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and move about with chunks in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not respond to a request for comment, but previously asserted: “The whales … obtain far better veterinary services and 24/7 attention than any individual in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in recent months following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility believed details of the death were disclosed to the press and she was fired soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and current and former trainers in distress. She says the facility’s warning to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any plans to euthanize even a one beluga would require “considerable staff”, trucks and machinery.

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

She backs requests for the whales to be removed immediately from the facility, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a perpetual existence in captivity and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister commented. “As Canadians, we know that whales belong in the sea, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing authorize an export that would continue the situation these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reveal a more general incorrect perception of the realities of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers work to find a solution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of food for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has shown to be contentious. The planned site, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain positive that it could eventually represent a permanent solution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the possibility of a refuge indicates a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a workable plan in the coming months.

The project lead, director of the sanctuary project, said the site will simulate the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|