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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an charming little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a tussle between a defunct facility, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense discussion over their destiny often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the humans who see them each day.

After the federal government blocked the sale of the belugas to China, the controversial attraction near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to euthanize them unless the authorities covers the cost of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

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

She spent several years as a beluga trainer, a position that involved building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing 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. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the details and unique traits in their dispositions. She cultivated a particular love for two female belugas with contrasting personalities.

“Eve chose me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Each transformed the way I view bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales progressed against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, died. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility attributes to natural mortality, but which advocates say reflects the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The park did not operate to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand effects of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and navigate with fragments in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but previously claimed: “The whales … obtain far better medical attention and constant care than any individual in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in early March following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility thought particulars of the death were disclosed to the news outlets and she was released soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and other caretakers in anguish. She says the park’s threat to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any attempts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “significant staff”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

Burgess backs demands for the whales to be taken promptly from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

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

“To approve the request would have meant a continued situation in captivity and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister stated. “As society, we know that belugas are meant for the ocean, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an relocation that would prolong the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks indicate a broader misunderstanding of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities struggle to find a answer, proposals have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received regulatory clearance, has been most controversial. The planned location, which includes a large area of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain hopeful that it could in time represent a sustainable resolution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the prospect of a sanctuary reflects a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable plan in the near future.

Charles Vinick, head of the sanctuary project, said the location will mimic the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|