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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable small “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a closed attraction, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned debate over their destiny often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the people who interact with them daily.

After the federal government blocked the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial facility near the famous falls where they are kept warned to euthanize them unless the government covers the expense of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and group interactions suggest they are highly cognitive mammals – something Kristy Burgess observed personally.

Burgess spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that involved earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

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

“Eve chose me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “They changed the way I perceive connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales developed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, died. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which activists say reflects the inadequate care in which they were housed.

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 navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but earlier asserted: “The whales … receive far higher quality veterinary services and 24/7 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 the spring following the passing of Eos, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the park believed information of the incident were leaked to the news outlets and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and current and former trainers in distress. She says the park’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “immense staff”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

Burgess backs calls for the whales to be removed immediately from the facility, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

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

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a continued situation in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that whales should be in the wild, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing permit an transfer that would prolong the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks indicate a broader incorrect perception of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a resolution, proposals have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a important part of food for Inuit communities.

A suggested refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has shown to be highly debated. The planned facility, which includes a large area of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a permanent answer for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Others say the prospect of a sanctuary reflects a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible plan in the short term.

The project lead, director of the initiative, said the site will simulate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|