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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable small “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a struggle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their fate often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the Canadian government blocked the export of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near the famous falls where they are held threatened to euthanize them unless the government funds the expense of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and social skills indicate they are remarkably smart animals – something Kristy Burgess observed first-hand.

She spent three years as a whale caretaker, a job that required building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the subtleties and quirks in their personalities. She formed a special affection for two female belugas with different temperaments.

“Eve chose me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Each changed the way I view bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s relationship with the whales evolved against a context of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the facility attributes to natural mortality, but which advocates say points to the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The park did not operate to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the closure. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and navigate with chunks in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not reply to a request for comment, but in the past claimed: “The whales … get far better medical attention and 24/7 attention than any human in the UK, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in recent months following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the park believed details of the incident were disclosed to the press and she was released soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left her and staff members in despair. She says the facility’s threat to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any efforts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “immense personnel”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

She advocates for requests for the whales to be removed promptly from the park, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

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

“To approve the application would have meant a perpetual life in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the official stated. “As the public, we know that marine mammals should be in the sea, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience permit an relocation that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have suffered.”

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

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers attempt to find a resolution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A suggested protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has been most controversial. The future facility, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a permanent solution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the prospect of a protected habitat reflects a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a viable approach in the near future.

The project lead, director of the initiative, said the site will simulate the mental engagement and diet the whales get from trainers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|