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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable little “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a tussle between a defunct facility, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned debate over their future often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the people who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government disallowed the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled attraction near the famous falls where they are held stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the government pays for the cost of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and group interactions indicate they are remarkably smart creatures – something Kristy Burgess discovered directly.

She spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a role that entailed building relationships of the marine predators.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the subtleties and quirks in their dispositions. She formed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting personalities.

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

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the park ascribes to natural mortality, but which activists say indicates the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The facility did not open to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand results of the shutdown. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and move about with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not reply to a request for comment, but earlier claimed: “The whales … obtain far better health care and constant care than any human in the UK, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in early March following the death of Eos, an sick beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected information of the incident were leaked to the media and she was let go not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and current and former trainers in despair. She says the park’s threat to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any attempts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “significant personnel”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

She advocates for requests for the whales to be removed right away from the facility, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

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

“Granting the proposal would have meant a ongoing existence in enclosure and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that whales belong in the sea, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience authorize an export that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments reflect a broader misunderstanding of the realities of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials attempt to find a resolution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of nourishment for local populations.

A suggested protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received official endorsement, has been most controversial. The prospective site, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain optimistic that it could in time represent a long term resolution for a number of the whales.

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

Others say the idea of a refuge represents a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a workable approach in the near future.

The project lead, leader of the initiative, said the location will replicate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|