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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute little “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a disagreement between a defunct facility, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned discussion over their destiny often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the humans who see them each day.

After the national authorities prevented the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are housed warned to euthanize them unless the authorities covers the expense of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and group interactions suggest they are deeply intelligent creatures – something Kristy Burgess discovered personally.

She spent three years as a beluga trainer, a job that involved gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so amazed by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She formed a particular love for a pair of whales with opposing natures.

“Eve accepted me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Both altered the way I perceive connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales progressed against a context of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her time at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility ascribes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say indicates the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The park did not open to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the shutdown. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not reply to a questionnaire, but previously stated: “The whales … obtain far better medical attention and 24/7 supervision than any human in the Britain, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the park in the spring following the death of a beluga, an ailing beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected details of the death were shared to the media and she was released shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any attempts to put down even a individual beluga would require “considerable manpower”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess backs calls for the whales to be removed right away from the park, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a proposal to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the application would have meant a perpetual life in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that belugas should be in the sea, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience authorize an export that would continue the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks indicate a broader incorrect perception of the realities of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers attempt to find a resolution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A planned refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received official endorsement, has shown to be most controversial. The future site, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain hopeful that it could in time represent a permanent answer for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Others say the possibility of a sanctuary represents a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible approach in the short term.

Charles Vinick, director of the sanctuary project, said the site will simulate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales get from specialists, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|