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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a tussle between a defunct facility, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated controversy over their future often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government disallowed the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near the famous falls where they are housed warned to end their lives unless the authorities covers the expense of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and group interactions suggest they are highly cognitive animals – something Kristy Burgess discovered directly.

She spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a job that entailed earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the outset, 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 fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the nuances and quirks in their dispositions. She formed a deep bond for two female belugas with different personalities.

“Eve chose me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Both transformed the way I view relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales evolved against a background of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility links to age-related causes, but which advocates say reflects the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not operate to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly results of the shutdown. “Concrete is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and move about with fragments in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not respond to a inquiry, but in the past stated: “The whales … obtain far higher quality medical attention and constant attention than any human in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in early March following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the park believed details of the death were leaked to the press and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and current and former trainers in distress. She says the facility’s warning to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “considerable manpower”, equipment and specialized tools.

“There’s no way in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess advocates for requests for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the application would have meant a continued situation in captivity and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that belugas belong in the ocean, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an transfer that would continue the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s statements indicate a more general misunderstanding of the facts of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As authorities work to find a answer, ideas have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A proposed sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received regulatory clearance, has been contentious. The planned site, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Supporters remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a sustainable resolution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the prospect of a sanctuary reflects a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a viable approach in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, head of the sanctuary project, said the site will replicate the mental engagement and diet the whales get from specialists, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|