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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute little “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a tussle between a shuttered park, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated discussion over their fate often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been closely studied by the people who see them each day.

After the national authorities blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling amusement park near the famous falls where they are housed stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the authorities funds the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that request, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and group interactions point to they are deeply intelligent animals – something a former trainer discovered directly.

She spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a role that involved gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

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

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the subtleties and quirks in their dispositions. She developed a particular love for a pair of whales with different personalities.

“Eve chose me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Each changed the way I view relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales progressed against a context of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her tenure at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the park ascribes to age-related causes, but which advocates say indicates the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The facility did not operate to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the cessation. “Concrete is falling apart from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and navigate with chunks in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not comment to a inquiry, but previously stated: “The whales … receive far higher quality medical attention and 24/7 attention than any human in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in recent months following the passing of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park believed information of the incident were leaked to the press and she was fired not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and staff members in despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any efforts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “immense personnel”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess advocates for demands for the whales to be removed right away from the park, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a request to transfer the whales to China.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a ongoing existence in captivity and a return to public entertainment,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that whales are meant for the wild, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience authorize an relocation that would prolong the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reflect a wider incorrect perception of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a resolution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of food for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has been most controversial. The prospective site, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a long term resolution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the prospect of a protected habitat reflects a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible plan in the short term.

Charles Vinick, leader of the plan, said the location will replicate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|