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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a tussle between a closed attraction, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated discussion over their future often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government prevented the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are housed warned to euthanize them unless the government covers the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and communal behavior indicate they are highly cognitive creatures – something a former trainer observed directly.

Burgess spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a position that involved building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the details and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She formed a deep bond for two female belugas with different personalities.

“One whale selected me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Both altered the way I view bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s interaction with the whales progressed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her three years at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park links to expected lifespan, but which advocates say indicates the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The facility did not open to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not comment to a inquiry, but in the past asserted: “The whales … obtain far higher quality medical attention and 24/7 attention than any human in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in recent months following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility thought details of the incident were leaked to the media and she was released shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and other caretakers in anguish. She says the facility’s threat to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “significant staff”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

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

In late September, the nation’s government official denied a proposal to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the request would have meant a continued life in enclosure and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that whales belong in the wild, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing authorize an export that would continue the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements reveal a more general misunderstanding of the realities of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers work to find a answer, proposals have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a important part of food for local populations.

A suggested protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has proven most controversial. The planned location, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a long term resolution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Others say the prospect of a protected habitat represents a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable solution in the near future.

The project lead, leader of the plan, said the site will replicate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales get from specialists, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|