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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute small “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga 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 struggle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the intense debate over their destiny often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities blocked the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are held stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the federal government pays for the cost of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and group interactions point to they are deeply intelligent animals – something a former trainer observed directly.

She spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that required building relationships of the marine predators.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the details and unique traits in their dispositions. She developed a particular love for a pair of whales with different personalities.

“One whale accepted me. The other required effort,” she said. “Both transformed the way I view connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales evolved against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility attributes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say reflects the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The park did not open to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand results of the shutdown. “Concrete is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and swim around with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not respond to a inquiry, but in the past claimed: “The whales … obtain far superior medical attention and around the clock attention than any human in the Britain, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the park in recent months following the demise of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park believed details of the death were shared to the media and she was fired not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any plans to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “significant personnel”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

Burgess advocates for requests for the whales to be transferred immediately from the facility, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

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

“Allowing the request would have meant a ongoing existence in enclosure and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that belugas should be in the wild, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing permit an transfer that would prolong the situation these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments reflect a broader lack of awareness of the circumstances of life for belugas born in captivity.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a answer, proposals have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of sustenance for local populations.

A proposed refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received official endorsement, has proven most controversial. The future location, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain optimistic that it could in time represent a permanent answer for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the idea of a refuge represents a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a feasible approach in the near future.

The project lead, leader of the sanctuary project, said the site will replicate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|