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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a disagreement between a shuttered park, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense debate over their fate often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the people who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities blocked the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to euthanize them unless the authorities covers the cost of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and group interactions suggest they are remarkably smart animals – something Kristy Burgess observed personally.

Burgess spent three years as a beluga trainer, a job that required earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the details and unique traits in their characters. She developed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing natures.

“One whale chose me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Both changed the way I understand connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales developed against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her time at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility links to expected lifespan, but which advocates say points to the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The facility did not operate to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the cessation. “Structural materials is breaking off from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and swim around with pieces in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not reply to a questionnaire, but in the past claimed: “The whales … receive far superior veterinary services and constant supervision than any human in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in early March following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the park suspected information of the death were leaked to the media and she was released shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and other caretakers in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “immense manpower”, 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 promptly from the park, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In recent months, Canada’s government official denied a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the application would have meant a ongoing life in confinement and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that whales should be in the wild, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing permit an transfer that would prolong the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments reveal a broader misunderstanding of the realities of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers work to find a resolution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A proposed protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which now received official endorsement, has shown to be highly debated. The prospective site, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a permanent solution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the prospect of a protected habitat reflects a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a workable approach in the coming months.

An official, director of the initiative, said the site will mimic the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|