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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable small “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a struggle between a shuttered park, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the intense debate over their destiny often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the Canadian government blocked the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling attraction near the famous falls where they are housed threatened to put them down unless the government pays for the cost of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and group interactions suggest they are highly cognitive creatures – something one caretaker learned directly.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a job that involved gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the nuances and unique traits in their characters. She developed a special affection for a pair of whales with contrasting natures.

“Eve accepted me. The other demanded work,” she said. “They transformed the way I view bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales developed against a background of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her time at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the facility attributes to age-related causes, but which activists say indicates the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the closure. “Structural materials is breaking off from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and navigate with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not reply to a questionnaire, but previously stated: “The whales … receive far higher quality health care and constant supervision than any human in the UK, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the park in early March following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the facility thought particulars of the death were leaked to the media and she was fired soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in distress. She says the park’s warning to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “considerable personnel”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

She supports demands for the whales to be removed immediately from the facility, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a bid to export the whales to China.

“Allowing the request would have meant a continued existence in confinement and a return to display for amusement,” the official commented. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals should be in the sea, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience authorize an export that would continue the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments indicate a more general lack of awareness of the facts of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

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

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials 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 wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of food for local populations.

A suggested protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which now received government approval, has proven contentious. The future facility, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain optimistic that it could in time represent a sustainable solution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ fate.

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

The project lead, leader of the plan, said the facility will mimic the cognitive activities and diet the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|