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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute little “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a tussle between a shuttered park, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated discussion over their destiny often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the people who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities prevented the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near the famous falls where they are held stated it would consider to end their lives unless the authorities funds the upkeep of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and communal behavior suggest they are remarkably smart animals – something Kristy Burgess observed first-hand.

She spent several years as a beluga trainer, a job that entailed gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the details and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She formed a deep bond for a pair of whales with different natures.

“One whale selected me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Each transformed the way I understand bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales developed against a background of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her tenure at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the facility attributes to natural mortality, but which activists say indicates the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the shutdown. “Concrete is breaking off from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and navigate with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

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

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in recent months following the demise of a beluga, an unwell beluga the employees had to put down. She said the facility suspected details of the death were disclosed to the media and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left her and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the park’s threat to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “significant personnel”, trucks and machinery.

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

She backs demands for the whales to be removed immediately from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a bid to transfer the whales to China.

“Allowing the application would have meant a perpetual existence in enclosure and a return to display for amusement,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals should be in the ocean, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience permit an transfer that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments reveal a more general misunderstanding of the facts of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities struggle to find a answer, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of food for Indigenous peoples.

A planned sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has been most controversial. The prospective location, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a sustainable resolution for eight of the whales.

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

Others say the possibility of a protected habitat indicates a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a workable approach in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, director of the plan, said the location will mimic the mental engagement and nutrition the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|