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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a tussle between a shuttered park, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the heated debate over their future often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the people who work with them regularly.

After the federal government blocked the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept stated it would consider to end their lives unless the government covers the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and social skills suggest they are remarkably smart animals – something Kristy Burgess observed directly.

She spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a role that entailed earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the nuances and quirks in their dispositions. She formed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with different personalities.

“One whale chose me. The other required effort,” she said. “Each changed the way I view relationships.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales developed against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her three years at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which activists say reflects the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The facility did not operate to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the shutdown. “Concrete is deteriorating from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and swim around with chunks in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but in the past asserted: “The whales … obtain far higher quality medical attention and constant care than any person in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in the spring following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the park thought particulars of the death were leaked to the news outlets and she was fired soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left her and staff members in distress. She says the park’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any attempts to put down even a individual beluga would require “considerable personnel”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess backs requests for the whales to be removed promptly from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a request to send the whales to China.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a perpetual situation in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official wrote. “As society, we know that belugas should be in the wild, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience approve an transfer that would prolong the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s statements indicate a broader misunderstanding of the realities of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a solution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of food for Inuit communities.

A proposed sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which now received regulatory clearance, has shown to be highly debated. The planned location, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain positive that it could in time represent a sustainable answer for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ future.

Others say the possibility of a refuge reflects a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable plan in the near future.

Charles Vinick, director of the initiative, said the site will simulate the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|