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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a tussle between a closed attraction, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated discussion over their destiny often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the Canadian government prevented the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to euthanize them unless the federal government pays for the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and communal behavior indicate they are highly cognitive animals – something Kristy Burgess learned first-hand.

She spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a position that required building relationships of the marine predators.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the start, 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 extraordinary and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She formed a special affection for two female belugas with different temperaments.

“Eve selected me. The other required effort,” she said. “Both changed the way I understand connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales developed against a context of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, died. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the park attributes to natural mortality, but which advocates say points to the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The park did not operate to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is breaking off from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and move about with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not respond to a inquiry, but earlier asserted: “The whales … get far better veterinary services and constant attention than any individual in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in recent months following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the park suspected particulars of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was released soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and current and former trainers in distress. She says the park’s warning to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any plans to put down even a individual beluga would require “considerable manpower”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess advocates for calls for the whales to be transferred right away from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

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

“To approve the proposal would have meant a ongoing situation in captivity and a return to public entertainment,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that whales belong in the ocean, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in good conscience approve an transfer that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks indicate a more general misunderstanding of the realities of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials work to find a solution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. 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 nourishment for local populations.

A suggested refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received official endorsement, has proven most controversial. The prospective location, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Proponents remain optimistic that it could in time represent a long term answer for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the prospect of a sanctuary reflects a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible plan in the near future.

The project lead, director of the initiative, said the site will mimic the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|