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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a tussle between a closed attraction, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned controversy over their destiny often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government prevented the sale of the belugas to China, the controversial attraction near the famous falls where they are kept warned to put them down unless the government covers the cost of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, problem solving and communal behavior indicate they are deeply intelligent creatures – something Kristy Burgess observed personally.

Burgess spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that required earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so surprised by the subtleties and unique traits in their characters. She cultivated a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with different natures.

“One whale accepted me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “They altered the way I perceive relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales developed against a context of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her tenure at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, died. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the facility links to age-related causes, but which advocates say reflects the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the shutdown. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and navigate with fragments in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not reply to a request for comment, but previously stated: “The whales … receive far superior veterinary services and constant supervision than any person in the Britain, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the park in the spring following the demise of Eos, an ailing beluga the employees had to put down. She said the facility suspected particulars of the incident were leaked to the media and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left her and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “significant personnel”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

She advocates for demands for the whales to be removed immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official rejected a request to export the whales to China.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a perpetual situation in confinement and a return to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As society, we know that whales are meant for the sea, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in good conscience permit an export that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements reveal a wider incorrect perception of the circumstances of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials attempt to find a solution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A suggested protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has been highly debated. The planned site, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain optimistic that it could in time represent a permanent solution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the prospect of a sanctuary represents a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a feasible solution in the near future.

Charles Vinick, director of the sanctuary project, said the facility will mimic the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|