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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable little “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a struggle between a defunct facility, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the intense debate over their fate often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government disallowed the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near the famous falls where they are housed stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the government pays for the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and social skills point to they are deeply intelligent animals – something Kristy Burgess discovered personally.

Burgess spent three years as a whale caretaker, a job that involved building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so astounded by the details and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She formed a special affection for a pair of whales with different natures.

“One whale chose me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “They altered the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales developed against a context of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her three years at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which activists say indicates the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The facility did not operate to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and move about with fragments in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not respond to a inquiry, but previously asserted: “The whales … get far higher quality medical attention and around the clock care than any person in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in recent months following the demise of a beluga, an ailing beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the facility believed particulars of the incident were shared to the media and she was released not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in distress. She says the facility’s warning to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any efforts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “significant manpower”, trucks and machinery.

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

She supports requests for the whales to be taken promptly from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In late September, Canada’s government official rejected a bid to send the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the request would have meant a ongoing life in confinement and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official wrote. “As society, we know that marine mammals are meant for the wild, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing approve an transfer that would continue the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments indicate a wider incorrect perception of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities struggle to find a answer, proposals have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of food for local populations.

A planned refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received government approval, has been contentious. The planned location, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain positive that it could ultimately represent a long term resolution for some of the whales.

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

Others say the possibility of a sanctuary reflects a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable approach in the near future.

Charles Vinick, director of the initiative, said the location will replicate the mental engagement and diet the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|