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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable small “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a tussle between a closed attraction, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned controversy over their future often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been closely studied by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to end their lives unless the authorities funds the cost of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and communal behavior indicate they are remarkably smart mammals – something Kristy Burgess learned first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a job that required building relationships of the marine predators.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the subtleties and quirks in their characters. She developed a particular love for two female belugas with opposing temperaments.

“Eve selected me. The other required effort,” she said. “Both changed the way I perceive relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales evolved against a context of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the park links to age-related causes, but which activists say indicates the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and move about with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not comment to a questionnaire, but earlier asserted: “The whales … get far better veterinary services and around the clock supervision than any human in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the park in recent months following the death of Eos, an sick beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility believed particulars of the death were shared to the news outlets and she was fired not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s warning to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any efforts to put down even a single beluga would require “significant personnel”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess supports demands for the whales to be removed right away from the park, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official denied a bid to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a continued existence in confinement and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister commented. “As Canadians, we know that whales belong in the wild, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an transfer that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments indicate a broader lack of awareness of the facts of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials work to find a answer, proposals have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A planned refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received official endorsement, has shown to be highly debated. The prospective facility, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a long term answer for eight of the whales.

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

Different voices say the possibility of a protected habitat indicates a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable approach in the short term.

The project lead, director of the sanctuary project, said the location will replicate the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|