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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming little “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a disagreement between a shuttered park, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated debate over their future often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who see them each day.

After the national authorities prevented the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial facility near the famous falls where they are housed threatened to put them down unless the authorities pays for the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and social skills point to they are deeply intelligent creatures – something Kristy Burgess learned first-hand.

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

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so amazed by the subtleties and quirks in their dispositions. She developed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing personalities.

“One whale accepted me. The other required effort,” she said. “They altered the way I perceive connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales developed against a background of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her time at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility ascribes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say points to the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The facility did not admit visitors to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the pools because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and swim around with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not respond to a inquiry, but earlier claimed: “The whales … receive far better health care and around the clock supervision than any person in the Britain, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in recent months following the passing of Eos, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected details of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was released soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left her and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any plans to euthanize even a one beluga would require “significant personnel”, vehicles and machinery.

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

Burgess advocates for demands for the whales to be taken right away from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In late September, the nation’s government official denied a proposal to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a ongoing existence in captivity and a return to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that whales should be in the ocean, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience permit an transfer that would continue the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reveal a more general misunderstanding of the facts of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely 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 straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities struggle to find a solution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A planned sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received government approval, has shown to be most controversial. The future facility, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Proponents remain optimistic that it could in time represent a long term answer for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Others say the possibility of a protected habitat represents a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible plan in the short term.

Charles Vinick, director of the plan, said the location will mimic the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|