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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet 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 shuttered park, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned discussion over their future often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the people who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling amusement park near the famous falls where they are held stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the authorities covers the upkeep of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, problem solving and communal behavior point to they are deeply intelligent mammals – something Kristy Burgess observed personally.

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

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the subtleties and quirks in their personalities. She developed a deep bond for a pair of whales with contrasting temperaments.

“Eve selected me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Each altered the way I understand bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales evolved against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her time at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the facility ascribes to age-related causes, but which advocates say points to the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The park did not open to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not respond to a inquiry, but in the past claimed: “The whales … obtain far superior health care and constant care than any human in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in the spring following the passing of Eos, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the park thought details of the incident were leaked to the press and she was released soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left her and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the park’s warning to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any attempts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “immense staff”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

Burgess advocates for requests for the whales to be taken promptly from the facility, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

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

“Granting the request would have meant a continued life in enclosure and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that belugas belong in the sea, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing approve an transfer that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments reveal a broader lack of awareness of the facts of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As authorities attempt to find a resolution, ideas have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of food for Inuit communities.

A planned sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has proven highly debated. The prospective site, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a permanent resolution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the prospect of a refuge represents a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a viable approach in the near future.

Charles Vinick, leader of the initiative, said the location will replicate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|