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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming little “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a closed attraction, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the heated debate over their destiny often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the humans who see them each day.

After the Canadian government disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are housed warned to put them down unless the federal government funds the cost of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and group interactions suggest they are remarkably smart mammals – something Kristy Burgess discovered personally.

Burgess spent several years as a whale caretaker, a job that required gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so amazed by the details and quirks in their characters. She cultivated a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Both altered the way I view bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales developed against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her tenure at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park ascribes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say points to the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly consequences of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not reply to a request for comment, but earlier claimed: “The whales … obtain far superior health care and 24/7 care than any human in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in early March following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the facility thought information of the incident were shared to the news outlets and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any efforts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “immense staff”, trucks and machinery.

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

Burgess backs calls for the whales to be removed immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a request to export the whales to China.

“Allowing the application would have meant a ongoing situation in captivity and a return to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals are meant for the ocean, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience permit an transfer that would prolong the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks indicate a broader lack of awareness of the realities of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a resolution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of food for local populations.

A proposed sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which has received regulatory clearance, has been most controversial. The planned facility, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain hopeful that it could in time represent a long term answer for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the prospect of a refuge represents a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a viable solution in the coming months.

An official, head of the sanctuary project, said the location will mimic the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|