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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable small “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a tussle between a shuttered park, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated discussion over their future often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who see them each day.

After the federal government blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are held stated it would consider to put them down unless the authorities funds the expense of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and group interactions indicate they are highly cognitive animals – something one caretaker learned personally.

She spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that required earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the details and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She formed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting temperaments.

“One whale selected me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Each altered the way I perceive bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales progressed against a background of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her time at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the park ascribes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say reflects the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not operate to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly results of the cessation. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not comment to a questionnaire, but in the past claimed: “The whales … get far superior veterinary services and around the clock attention than any person in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in recent months following the death of Eos, an sick beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park suspected details of the incident were shared to the media and she was fired soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left her and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s warning to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “considerable manpower”, vehicles and machinery.

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

She backs calls for the whales to be transferred right away from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a request to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the application would have meant a continued life in confinement and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister wrote. “As society, we know that whales are meant for the ocean, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an relocation that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments indicate a broader misunderstanding of the realities of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a resolution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of food for Inuit communities.

A planned sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received official endorsement, has shown to be contentious. The prospective site, which includes a large area of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a sustainable solution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Others say the idea of a protected habitat reflects a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a feasible solution in the near future.

Charles Vinick, director of the plan, said the facility will simulate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|