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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an charming small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a disagreement between a defunct facility, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned debate over their fate often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government prevented the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled facility near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to euthanize them unless the federal government funds the cost of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that demand, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and communal behavior suggest they are highly cognitive mammals – something Kristy Burgess observed personally.

Burgess spent several years as a whale caretaker, a position that entailed building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so amazed by the nuances and unique traits in their characters. She cultivated a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with different personalities.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “They changed the way I understand relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales evolved against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her tenure at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the facility ascribes to age-related causes, but which activists say indicates the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The facility did not operate to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not respond to a questionnaire, but in the past stated: “The whales … get far better health care and 24/7 attention than any individual in the UK, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in recent months following the death of a beluga, an unwell beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the facility thought information of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was fired not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left her and current and former trainers in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any efforts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “immense personnel”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess supports demands for the whales to be taken right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a proposal to send the whales to China.

“Allowing the request would have meant a perpetual existence in captivity and a return to display for amusement,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that whales are meant for the ocean, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience permit an export that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reveal a more general incorrect perception of the facts of life for belugas born in captivity.

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

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities attempt to find a answer, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of food for Inuit communities.

A suggested refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received regulatory clearance, has proven contentious. The future location, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a long term resolution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the possibility of a refuge indicates a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a viable approach in the short term.

An official, leader of the sanctuary project, said the site will simulate the mental engagement and diet the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|