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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a tussle between a shuttered park, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the intense debate over their fate often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities prevented the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling amusement park near the famous falls where they are held warned to euthanize them unless the authorities pays for the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and communal behavior point to they are remarkably smart creatures – something Kristy Burgess discovered personally.

Burgess spent several years as a whale caretaker, a job that required earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She formed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing temperaments.

“Eve selected me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Each altered the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales progressed against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility attributes to age-related causes, but which advocates say reflects the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The facility did not open to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand results of the cessation. “Concrete is breaking off from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and navigate with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but in the past stated: “The whales … receive far better health care and around the clock attention than any individual in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in the spring following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected information of the death were disclosed to the news outlets and she was fired soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s threat to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any efforts to put down even a one beluga would require “considerable staff”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

She backs demands for the whales to be transferred right away from the park, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In recent months, the nation’s government official denied a bid to send the whales to China.

“Granting the application would have meant a continued life in captivity and a return to display for amusement,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that belugas belong in the ocean, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing authorize an export that would continue the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reflect a more general misunderstanding of the circumstances of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities struggle to find a answer, suggestions have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of food for Inuit communities.

A planned protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received government approval, has proven most controversial. The prospective site, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Proponents remain positive that it could ultimately represent a sustainable answer for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the possibility of a protected habitat reflects a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible plan in the short term.

The project lead, director of the plan, said the location will mimic the mental engagement and diet the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|