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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute small “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a tussle between a defunct facility, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned controversy over their destiny often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the people who see them each day.

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 held threatened to end their lives unless the federal government funds the upkeep of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and social skills point to they are remarkably smart animals – something Kristy Burgess learned first-hand.

Burgess spent three years as a whale caretaker, a role that involved gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so surprised by the nuances and unique traits in their characters. She cultivated a special affection for a pair of whales with opposing temperaments.

“One whale chose me. The other required effort,” she said. “Both altered the way I understand connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales progressed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their confinement.

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

The facility did not open to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the cessation. “Structural materials is breaking off from the pools because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and swim around with chunks in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but earlier claimed: “The whales … get far superior health care and 24/7 supervision than any human in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in recent months following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the park thought information of the incident were disclosed to the press and she was released not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s warning to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any plans to euthanize even a single beluga would require “immense personnel”, trucks 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 removed immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a bid to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the application would have meant a ongoing situation in captivity and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official commented. “As society, we know that belugas should be in the sea, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience permit an export that would continue the situation these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s statements indicate a wider misunderstanding of the circumstances 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 ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers struggle to find a solution, proposals have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for local populations.

A proposed sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received government approval, has shown to be highly debated. The future location, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a sustainable solution for some of the whales.

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

Others say the possibility of a protected habitat represents a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible plan in the short term.

The project lead, director of the sanctuary project, said the site will simulate the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|