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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute little “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a disagreement between a closed attraction, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned controversy over their future often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the Canadian government disallowed the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled facility near the famous falls where they are housed stated it would consider to put them down unless the authorities pays for the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, problem solving and communal behavior point to they are remarkably smart mammals – something a former trainer learned first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a job that involved earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the nuances and unique traits in their characters. She formed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with different natures.

“One whale chose me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Each transformed the way I understand relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s relationship with the whales progressed against a background of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her three years at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the park ascribes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say points to the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not operate to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes effects of the cessation. “Concrete is breaking off from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not comment to a request for comment, but previously stated: “The whales … get far superior veterinary services and 24/7 care than any person in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in the spring following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park suspected details of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was let go soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “considerable manpower”, equipment and machinery.

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

Burgess supports requests for the whales to be transferred immediately from the facility, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a request to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the application would have meant a perpetual existence in enclosure and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that whales should be in the ocean, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience permit an transfer that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s statements reveal a broader incorrect perception of the facts of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a resolution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A suggested protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received government approval, has proven highly debated. The prospective facility, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain optimistic that it could in time represent a sustainable answer for some of the whales.

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

Some experts say the possibility of a sanctuary represents a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a workable approach in the short term.

An official, leader of the initiative, said the location will replicate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|