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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute little “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a disagreement between a defunct facility, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense controversy over their future often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the people who interact with them daily.

After the federal government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling facility near the famous falls where they are held warned to euthanize them unless the federal government pays for the expense of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, problem solving and communal behavior suggest they are highly cognitive mammals – something Kristy Burgess learned first-hand.

She spent several years as a whale caretaker, a job that required earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She formed a special affection for two female belugas with opposing personalities.

“Eve chose me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They transformed the way I perceive relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales progressed against a context of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her time at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say points to the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The park did not open to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the closure. “Structural materials is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not comment to a questionnaire, but previously stated: “The whales … receive far better medical attention and constant care than any person in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in the spring following the passing of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the park thought information of the death were leaked to the news outlets and she was released not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s threat to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any attempts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “significant personnel”, trucks and machinery.

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

She advocates for demands for the whales to be transferred immediately from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a proposal to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a perpetual situation in confinement and a return to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals belong in the wild, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing authorize an export that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks indicate a wider lack of awareness of the facts of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials struggle to find a answer, proposals have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of food for Inuit communities.

A suggested protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has proven most controversial. The prospective location, which includes a large area of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a permanent answer for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Others say the possibility of a sanctuary represents a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible plan in the short term.

The project lead, leader of the initiative, said the facility will mimic the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|