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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming small “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a struggle between a closed attraction, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned debate over their destiny often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the people who work with them regularly.

After the federal government disallowed the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near the famous falls where they are housed threatened to euthanize them unless the federal government covers the upkeep of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and social skills indicate they are highly cognitive animals – something Kristy Burgess learned directly.

She spent three years as a beluga trainer, a role that involved building relationships of the marine predators.

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

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the details and quirks in their dispositions. She cultivated a particular love for a pair of whales with opposing personalities.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Each altered the way I perceive relationships.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales progressed against a context of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her tenure at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, died. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the park ascribes to expected lifespan, but which activists say points to the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The facility did not operate to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but previously claimed: “The whales … obtain far better medical attention and around the clock attention than any individual in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in the spring following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility suspected particulars of the incident were shared to the press and she was fired soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left her and staff members in distress. She says the park’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any attempts to put down even a individual beluga would require “significant staff”, vehicles and specialized tools.

“It cannot happen in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess advocates for demands for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a proposal to send the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the request would have meant a perpetual life in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that whales are meant for the ocean, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience approve an export that would prolong the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks reflect a broader misunderstanding of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers struggle to find a resolution, ideas have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has proven most controversial. The prospective facility, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Advocates remain optimistic that it could in time represent a permanent solution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the prospect of a sanctuary represents a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable plan in the coming months.

An official, leader of the sanctuary project, said the location will replicate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|