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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute small “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a shuttered park, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the heated debate over their fate often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government prevented the export of the belugas to China, the controversial amusement park near the famous falls where they are held stated it would consider to put them down unless the authorities funds the expense of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and group interactions point to they are deeply intelligent creatures – something a former trainer learned personally.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a position that required gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so amazed by the details and unique traits in their dispositions. She cultivated a particular love for two female belugas with contrasting personalities.

“Eve selected me. The other required effort,” she said. “They altered the way I perceive bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales developed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, died. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park ascribes to natural mortality, but which advocates say points to the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The facility did not admit visitors to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the shutdown. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the pools because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not reply to a questionnaire, but earlier asserted: “The whales … receive far better medical attention and constant attention than any individual in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in the spring following the death of Eos, an sick beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the facility believed particulars of the death were leaked to the media and she was fired not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left her and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any plans to euthanize even a one beluga would require “immense staff”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

She backs requests for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a bid to transfer the whales to China.

“Allowing the application would have meant a perpetual existence in captivity and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister commented. “As society, we know that marine mammals belong in the sea, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience approve an export that would prolong the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements indicate a more general incorrect perception of the realities of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers struggle to find a solution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of nourishment for local populations.

A planned refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has proven most controversial. The prospective facility, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain positive that it could in time represent a permanent resolution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the possibility of a sanctuary reflects a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a viable solution in the near future.

Charles Vinick, director of the sanctuary project, said the facility will simulate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|