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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable small “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a disagreement between a shuttered park, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their fate often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the people who see them each day.

After the national authorities disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are housed warned to put them down unless the authorities pays for the expense of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that request, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and group interactions indicate they are highly cognitive animals – something Kristy Burgess observed personally.

She spent several years as a beluga trainer, a job that required building relationships of the sea creatures.

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

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the subtleties and quirks in their characters. She developed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing natures.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Each changed the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

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

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the facility links to age-related causes, but which activists say points to the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the shutdown. “Structural materials is falling apart from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and swim around with pieces in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not comment to a inquiry, but in the past stated: “The whales … get far superior health care and 24/7 supervision than any person in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in early March following the demise of a beluga, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility thought details of the incident were leaked to the press and she was fired soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left her and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “considerable manpower”, equipment and heavy equipment.

“It cannot happen in hell the caretakers would ever do it,” she said.

She supports demands for the whales to be transferred right away from the facility, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a proposal to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a ongoing life in enclosure and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that whales should be in the ocean, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing authorize an transfer that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements reflect a wider misunderstanding of the realities of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a resolution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of food for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which now received regulatory clearance, has proven highly debated. The prospective site, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain optimistic that it could in time represent a sustainable answer for a number of the whales.

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

Some experts say the possibility of a sanctuary indicates a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible approach in the near future.

Charles Vinick, director of the sanctuary project, said the facility will replicate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|