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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a closed attraction, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense debate over their future often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the people who see them each day.

After the federal government disallowed the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling facility near the famous falls where they are housed threatened to euthanize them unless the federal government funds the expense of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and group interactions point to they are remarkably smart creatures – something Kristy Burgess observed first-hand.

She spent several years as a whale caretaker, a role that entailed earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Developing 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 reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the subtleties and quirks in their personalities. She formed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting natures.

“One whale selected me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “They changed the way I understand bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the park attributes to age-related causes, but which activists say reflects the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The facility did not open to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the cessation. “Concrete is breaking off from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and navigate with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not respond to a request for comment, but in the past stated: “The whales … get far higher quality veterinary services and around the clock supervision than any individual in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in recent months following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park suspected particulars of the death were shared to the news outlets and she was fired soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “immense manpower”, trucks and machinery.

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

Burgess backs requests for the whales to be transferred promptly from the park, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

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

“Granting the application would have meant a ongoing life in enclosure and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that belugas are meant for the sea, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience authorize an export that would continue the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks reflect a more general misunderstanding of the circumstances of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As authorities work to find a resolution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A suggested refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has shown to be most controversial. The prospective facility, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Proponents remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a permanent solution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the prospect of a sanctuary indicates a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a workable solution in the short term.

Charles Vinick, director of the sanctuary project, said the facility will replicate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|