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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an charming small “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a tussle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the heated discussion over their future often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the controversial facility near the famous falls where they are housed threatened to put them down unless the authorities funds the expense of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and group interactions indicate they are deeply intelligent mammals – something Kristy Burgess discovered first-hand.

Burgess spent three years as a beluga trainer, a role that required building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the details and quirks in their characters. She cultivated a special affection for two female belugas with different personalities.

“One whale chose me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Both changed the way I view relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales progressed against a context of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, died. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility links to expected lifespan, but which activists say reflects the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The facility did not open to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the cessation. “Concrete is breaking off from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and swim around with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not respond to a questionnaire, but in the past asserted: “The whales … receive far superior medical attention and constant supervision than any human in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in recent months following the demise of a beluga, an sick beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility thought information of the death were disclosed to the press and she was fired soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s warning to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any efforts to put down even a individual beluga would require “considerable staff”, equipment and specialized tools.

“There’s no way in hell the caretakers would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess advocates for requests for the whales to be transferred promptly from the facility, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official rejected a proposal to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a continued situation in enclosure and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As society, we know that belugas should be in the wild, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing approve an relocation that would prolong the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements indicate a more general lack of awareness of the circumstances of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers struggle to find a resolution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A planned refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has shown to be most controversial. The future location, which includes a large area of protected cove, is not yet built. Supporters remain positive that it could ultimately represent a sustainable answer for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the idea of a protected habitat represents a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a workable solution in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, leader of the plan, said the facility will mimic the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales get from trainers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|