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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute little “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a disagreement between a shuttered park, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated discussion over their destiny often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the national authorities disallowed the transfer of the belugas to China, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to euthanize them unless the government covers the expense of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and communal behavior point to they are highly cognitive animals – something Kristy Burgess learned first-hand.

Burgess spent three years as a beluga trainer, a job that involved gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very cautious 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.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the subtleties and quirks in their dispositions. She formed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with different temperaments.

“One whale chose me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Each transformed the way I view relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her tenure at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility ascribes to natural mortality, but which activists say points to the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The facility did not admit visitors to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the cessation. “Concrete is breaking off from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and navigate with pieces in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not reply to a request for comment, but in the past asserted: “The whales … receive far superior veterinary services and constant attention than any person in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in recent months following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park believed details of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was released soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future 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 “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “immense manpower”, trucks and machinery.

“It cannot happen in hell the caretakers would ever do it,” she said.

She backs demands for the whales to be removed promptly from the facility, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a request to export the whales to China.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a ongoing existence in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that whales are meant for the ocean, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience permit an transfer that would prolong the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements indicate a wider incorrect perception of the facts of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers struggle to find a solution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A planned sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received official endorsement, has proven contentious. The planned location, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Advocates remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a long term solution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the prospect of a refuge reflects a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable approach in the short term.

Charles Vinick, head of the sanctuary project, said the facility will replicate the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|