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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a tussle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned controversy over their destiny often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the federal government prevented the export of the belugas to China, the controversial amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to euthanize them unless the government funds the upkeep of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and communal behavior indicate they are highly cognitive mammals – something one caretaker discovered directly.

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

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the nuances and unique traits in their dispositions. She formed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing natures.

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

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales developed against a context of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, died. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say points to the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the cessation. “Concrete is breaking off from the pools because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not reply to a inquiry, but earlier asserted: “The whales … obtain far higher quality health care and constant care than any individual in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in the spring following the demise of a beluga, an ailing beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the facility believed particulars of the incident were shared to the press and she was let go not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left her and current and former trainers in distress. She says the park’s warning to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any plans to euthanize even a one beluga would require “significant personnel”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

Burgess advocates for demands for the whales to be removed right away from the park, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a bid to transfer the whales to China.

“Granting the application would have meant a perpetual existence in captivity and a return to public entertainment,” the minister stated. “As the public, we know that belugas belong in the wild, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience permit an export that would continue the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments reflect a broader incorrect perception of the circumstances of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers work to find a resolution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A planned protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has proven highly debated. The planned location, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain positive that it could in time represent a sustainable answer for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the idea of a refuge reflects a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a workable solution in the coming months.

The project lead, director of the sanctuary project, said the location will simulate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|