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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute small “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a tussle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned controversy over their fate often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities disallowed the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept warned to put them down unless the government covers the upkeep of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and communal behavior indicate they are deeply intelligent mammals – something Kristy Burgess observed first-hand.

She spent several years as a whale caretaker, a role that involved gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the nuances and quirks in their personalities. She formed a particular love for two female belugas with opposing personalities.

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

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

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

During her time at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the park links to natural mortality, but which advocates say points to the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The park did not open to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes effects of the closure. “Structural materials is breaking off from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and swim around with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but in the past claimed: “The whales … receive far better veterinary services and around the clock attention than any individual in the UK, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in the spring following the death of a beluga, an ailing beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the facility believed details of the death were shared to the media and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left her and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the facility’s warning to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any efforts to put down even a individual beluga would require “considerable staff”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

She supports requests for the whales to be taken right away from the park, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In late September, Canada’s government official rejected a bid to transfer the whales to China.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a perpetual existence in enclosure and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that belugas should be in the wild, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience authorize an relocation that would prolong the situation these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks reflect a wider incorrect perception of the realities of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a answer, proposals have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A planned sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has been contentious. The prospective location, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Proponents remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a long term answer for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the idea of a sanctuary indicates a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a viable approach in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, director of the initiative, said the site will mimic the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|