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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable little “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a defunct facility, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the intense controversy over their destiny often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been carefully observed by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government blocked the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to put them down unless the federal government pays for the expense of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and communal behavior point to they are highly cognitive animals – something Kristy Burgess discovered personally.

Burgess spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that required building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the details and quirks in their characters. She cultivated a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with different natures.

“Eve accepted me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Both changed the way I view relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales evolved against a background of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, died. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the facility ascribes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say reflects the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The facility did not operate to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is breaking off from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and move about with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not comment to a questionnaire, but in the past stated: “The whales … receive far higher quality veterinary services and constant attention than any human in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in the spring following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park thought details of the death were shared to the media and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the park’s threat to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “significant staff”, vehicles and machinery.

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

Burgess backs requests for the whales to be transferred immediately from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official turned down a request to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the application would have meant a ongoing life in confinement and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that marine mammals belong in the sea, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience approve an relocation that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements reveal a more general incorrect perception of the facts of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a resolution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a key source of nourishment for local populations.

A proposed refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received official endorsement, has shown to be most controversial. The prospective facility, which includes a large area of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a permanent resolution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the prospect of a refuge represents a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a viable plan in the short term.

Charles Vinick, head of the initiative, said the site will replicate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|