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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming small “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a tussle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated debate over their fate often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities blocked the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled facility near the famous falls where they are housed warned to end their lives unless the authorities covers the upkeep of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and communal behavior indicate they are deeply intelligent mammals – something Kristy Burgess discovered directly.

Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a position that involved gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the subtleties and quirks in their personalities. She formed a special affection for two female belugas with different personalities.

“One whale chose me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They changed the way I view relationships.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her tenure at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park links to expected lifespan, but which activists say indicates the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The facility did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly results of the shutdown. “Structural materials is falling apart from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and swim around with pieces in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but previously asserted: “The whales … receive far higher quality medical attention and 24/7 supervision than any individual in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in early March following the demise of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the park thought details of the death were leaked to the news outlets and she was fired soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any plans to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “significant personnel”, vehicles and machinery.

“It’s impossible in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

She supports demands for the whales to be removed right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a bid to send the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the application would have meant a perpetual existence in confinement and a return to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that belugas are meant for the ocean, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience authorize an relocation that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks indicate a wider misunderstanding of the realities of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities struggle to find a resolution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A suggested protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which now received regulatory clearance, has shown to be most controversial. The prospective facility, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain hopeful that it could in time represent a sustainable resolution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the idea of a protected habitat represents a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible solution in the near future.

An official, director of the plan, said the location will mimic the mental engagement and nutrition the whales get from trainers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|