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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable little “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a tussle between a closed attraction, public officials and welfare campaigners.

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

After the Canadian government disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the controversial amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept warned to put them down unless the authorities pays for the expense of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and communal behavior suggest they are deeply intelligent mammals – something Kristy Burgess learned personally.

She spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a position that required gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the nuances and unique traits in their personalities. She developed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with different natures.

“One whale chose me. The other demanded work,” she said. “They altered the way I understand relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s interaction with the whales developed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her time at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the park links to age-related causes, but which campaigners say indicates the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The park did not open to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the cessation. “Concrete is falling apart from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but previously claimed: “The whales … get far higher quality veterinary services and constant attention than any individual in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in early March following the death of a beluga, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility thought particulars of the incident were shared to the press 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 ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any efforts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “considerable personnel”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

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

In late September, the nation’s government official turned down a request to export the whales to China.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a perpetual life in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that marine mammals should be in the sea, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an relocation that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments reflect a broader lack of awareness of the realities of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities attempt to find a resolution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A proposed sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which now received official endorsement, has shown to be contentious. The future location, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain positive that it could ultimately represent a sustainable solution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the idea of a refuge represents a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a workable plan in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, leader of the initiative, said the facility will simulate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|