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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming small “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a struggle between a shuttered park, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated discussion over their future often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the people who see them each day.

After the federal government blocked the export of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near the famous falls where they are housed warned to put them down unless the government covers the expense of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and group interactions point to they are highly cognitive creatures – something a former trainer learned first-hand.

She spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a role that entailed earning the trust of the marine predators.

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

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the subtleties and unique traits in their personalities. She cultivated a deep bond for a pair of whales with different personalities.

“Eve selected me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Each altered the way I understand bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s relationship with the whales developed against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her time at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, died. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the park attributes to age-related causes, but which activists say reflects the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The facility did not operate to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and swim around with pieces in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not reply to a questionnaire, but previously stated: “The whales … get far higher quality health care and 24/7 supervision than any human in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in recent months following the passing of Eos, an sick beluga the employees had to put down. She said the facility believed information of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was let go soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left her and other caretakers in distress. She says the facility’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any attempts to put down even a one beluga would require “immense personnel”, equipment and machinery.

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

She backs calls for the whales to be transferred promptly from the park, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a request to send the whales to China.

“To approve the application would have meant a continued life in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official wrote. “As society, we know that belugas should be in the wild, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an transfer that would prolong the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks reveal a broader misunderstanding of the facts of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers attempt to find a resolution, proposals have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a key source of food for Indigenous peoples.

A planned protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received government approval, has shown to be most controversial. The planned site, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain hopeful that it could in time represent a long term answer for a number 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.

Different voices say the prospect of a protected habitat reflects a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable plan in the short term.

Charles Vinick, head of the initiative, said the location will replicate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|