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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute little “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a disagreement between a defunct facility, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned debate over their fate often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the people who see them each day.

After the national authorities blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are held warned to put them down unless the authorities pays for the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that demand, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and communal behavior indicate they are highly cognitive mammals – something Kristy Burgess observed directly.

She spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that required earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the nuances and quirks in their personalities. She developed a special affection for two female belugas with contrasting temperaments.

“Eve selected me. The other demanded work,” she said. “They altered the way I understand bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales developed against a background of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her time at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, died. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say reflects the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not open to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the cessation. “Structural materials is breaking off from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and swim around with pieces in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not reply to a questionnaire, but earlier claimed: “The whales … get far superior health care and 24/7 care than any human in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in the spring following the passing of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the park believed particulars of the death were disclosed to the press and she was released soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and other caretakers in distress. She says the park’s threat to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “significant manpower”, trucks and machinery.

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

She backs demands for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In recent months, Canada’s government official denied a proposal to send the whales to China.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a continued existence in enclosure and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister stated. “As society, we know that marine mammals are meant for the wild, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing approve an transfer that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks reflect a broader lack of awareness of the facts of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats 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 attempt to find a solution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A planned refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has proven contentious. The prospective location, which includes a large area of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain hopeful that it could in time represent a long term answer for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the possibility of a protected habitat reflects a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable approach in the near future.

An official, head of the sanctuary project, said the location will simulate the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|