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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable little “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a struggle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense debate over their destiny often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been carefully observed by the people who interact with them daily.

After the federal government prevented the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near the famous falls where they are held stated it would consider to put them down unless the federal government funds the expense of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that demand, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and social skills suggest they are highly cognitive creatures – something Kristy Burgess observed personally.

She spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a role that required earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She formed a deep bond for a pair of whales with different temperaments.

“Eve chose me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “They changed the way I view bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales developed against a background of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her tenure at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility ascribes to age-related causes, but which activists say reflects the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The facility did not operate to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and swim around with chunks in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

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

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in the spring following the death of Eos, an sick beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the park believed particulars of the incident were shared to the news outlets and she was released soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and other caretakers in distress. She says the park’s threat to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any attempts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “considerable staff”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

She supports demands for the whales to be taken promptly from the park, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

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

“Allowing the application would have meant a continued existence in captivity and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As Canadians, we know that belugas belong in the wild, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing permit an export that would continue the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements reflect a broader lack of awareness of the realities of life for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers struggle to find a resolution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a important part of food for Indigenous peoples.

A planned protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has shown to be highly debated. The future site, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Supporters remain positive that it could in time represent a permanent answer for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the possibility of a refuge indicates a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a workable plan in the short term.

Charles Vinick, head of the sanctuary project, said the facility will simulate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|