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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming little “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a closed attraction, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned controversy over their future often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the national authorities blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near the famous falls where they are held stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the authorities pays for the expense of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, problem solving and communal behavior indicate they are highly cognitive mammals – something Kristy Burgess discovered first-hand.

Burgess spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that entailed building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the nuances and unique traits in their characters. She developed a particular love for two female belugas with different temperaments.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Each changed the way I understand connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s interaction with the whales evolved against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her three years at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility ascribes to natural mortality, but which activists say points to the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The park did not open to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the shutdown. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and swim around with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not respond to a request for comment, but previously asserted: “The whales … obtain far better health care and constant attention than any person in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in recent months following the passing of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to put down. She said the facility believed particulars of the incident were leaked to the press and she was let go soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in distress. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any plans to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “significant personnel”, trucks and machinery.

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

Burgess backs calls for the whales to be taken promptly from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In recent months, Canada’s government official denied a bid to export the whales to China.

“To approve the application would have meant a perpetual existence in captivity and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official stated. “As the public, we know that marine mammals are meant for the sea, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience approve an transfer that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments indicate a wider misunderstanding of the facts of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a answer, suggestions have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A planned protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has proven contentious. The prospective location, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, is not yet built. Supporters remain optimistic that it could in time represent a long term resolution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the idea of a sanctuary indicates a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a workable plan in the short term.

An official, head of the plan, said the facility will mimic the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|