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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable little “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a disagreement between a closed attraction, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated controversy over their destiny often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the people who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities disallowed the sale of the belugas to China, the controversial amusement park near the famous falls where they are housed stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the authorities funds the expense of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that request, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and communal behavior indicate they are highly cognitive animals – something Kristy Burgess observed first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a job that involved gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the subtleties and quirks in their characters. She cultivated a particular love for a pair of whales with different natures.

“One whale selected me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Each transformed the way I understand bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales developed against a context of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her time at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility attributes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say reflects the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not admit visitors to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly effects of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and navigate with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but earlier claimed: “The whales … obtain far higher quality health care and constant attention than any person in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in recent months following the passing of a beluga, an sick beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the park thought information of the death were shared to the media and she was released not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the park’s threat to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any attempts to put down even a individual beluga would require “immense manpower”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess backs calls for the whales to be removed right away from the park, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In recent months, Canada’s government official denied a proposal to export the whales to China.

“Allowing the application would have meant a perpetual life in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that belugas should be in the sea, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an transfer that would prolong the situation these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks reflect a more general misunderstanding of the circumstances of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As authorities struggle to find a resolution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of sustenance for local populations.

A proposed protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received regulatory clearance, has proven contentious. The future location, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a permanent solution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the idea of a protected habitat indicates a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a feasible approach in the short term.

Charles Vinick, leader of the initiative, said the site will mimic the mental engagement and diet the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|