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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a defunct facility, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the heated debate over their future often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the federal government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling facility near the famous falls where they are held warned to euthanize them unless the federal government covers the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that demand, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and communal behavior indicate they are highly cognitive animals – something Kristy Burgess discovered personally.

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

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the details and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She formed a deep bond for two female belugas with different personalities.

“One whale selected me. The other required effort,” she said. “They changed the way I perceive bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s connection with the whales evolved against a context of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her three years at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, died. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility ascribes to natural mortality, but which advocates say points to the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not open to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly effects of the cessation. “Concrete is falling apart from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not respond to a inquiry, but earlier claimed: “The whales … obtain far higher quality health care and constant supervision than any person in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the park in recent months following the passing of Eos, an ailing beluga the employees had to put down. She said the facility believed information of the incident were leaked to the media and she was released soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in despair. She says the facility’s threat to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any plans to euthanize even a one beluga would require “immense personnel”, trucks and specialized tools.

“It’s impossible in hell the staff would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess advocates for calls for the whales to be taken right away from the park, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a request to send the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the application would have meant a ongoing life in confinement and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official wrote. “As society, we know that marine mammals are meant for the wild, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience approve an export that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks reveal a broader incorrect perception of the facts of life for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities work to find a resolution, ideas have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for local populations.

A suggested sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has shown to be contentious. The future site, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a permanent solution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Others say the prospect of a protected habitat reflects a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible approach in the near future.

The project lead, leader of the initiative, said the location will replicate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|