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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable small “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a tussle between a shuttered park, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned discussion over their future often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the federal government disallowed the sale of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near the famous falls where they are held threatened to euthanize them unless the federal government funds the expense of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and group interactions point to they are remarkably smart animals – something Kristy Burgess observed first-hand.

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

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so surprised by the subtleties and unique traits in their characters. She developed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing natures.

“Eve chose me. The other required effort,” she said. “They altered the way I view connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s interaction with the whales progressed against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her tenure at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the facility links to natural mortality, but which advocates say indicates the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The facility did not operate to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the shutdown. “Structural materials is falling apart from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and move about with chunks in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not comment to a questionnaire, but in the past asserted: “The whales … obtain far superior veterinary services and 24/7 attention than any person in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in early March following the death of a beluga, an sick beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the park believed information of the death were shared to the press and she was let go soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the facility’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “significant manpower”, equipment and machinery.

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

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

In recent months, the nation’s government official denied a bid to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a ongoing situation in confinement and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that marine mammals are meant for the sea, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience approve an relocation that would continue the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments reflect a wider lack of awareness of the circumstances of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials struggle to find a resolution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which has received regulatory clearance, has shown to be highly debated. The prospective site, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain positive that it could ultimately represent a long term resolution for some of the whales.

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

Different voices say the possibility of a refuge reflects a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a viable plan in the short term.

The project lead, director of the plan, said the location will replicate the mental engagement and diet the whales get from specialists, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|