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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming little “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a tussle between a defunct facility, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their destiny often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the people who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government prevented the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near the famous falls where they are held threatened to euthanize them unless the government funds the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and social skills indicate they are deeply intelligent creatures – something Kristy Burgess observed directly.

She spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a position that entailed earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the nuances and unique traits in their personalities. She developed a particular love for two female belugas with different temperaments.

“Eve chose me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Both changed the way I understand relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales evolved against a context of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility links to natural mortality, but which advocates say indicates the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the cessation. “Concrete is deteriorating from the pools because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and swim around with fragments in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not reply to a inquiry, but in the past asserted: “The whales … obtain far superior medical attention and constant supervision than any person in the UK, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in recent months following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the park thought information of the death were shared to the media and she was let go soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the park’s warning to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any plans to put down even a one beluga would require “considerable manpower”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

Burgess backs demands for the whales to be transferred immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official denied a request to transfer the whales to China.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a ongoing existence in confinement and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that belugas should be in the wild, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience approve an transfer that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments reflect a wider lack of awareness of the circumstances of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials struggle to find a answer, ideas have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A planned protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which now received official endorsement, has proven contentious. The planned site, which includes a large area of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain positive that it could eventually represent a long term solution for some of the whales.

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

Some experts say the prospect of a refuge indicates a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a workable plan in the short term.

An official, director of the initiative, said the facility will mimic the mental engagement and diet the whales get from specialists, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|