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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute little “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a tussle between a shuttered park, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the heated debate over their destiny often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the people who interact with them daily.

After the federal government prevented the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling amusement park near the famous falls where they are housed warned to euthanize them unless the government funds the upkeep of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and communal behavior indicate they are remarkably smart animals – something Kristy Burgess learned directly.

Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a role that entailed earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so astounded by the details and quirks in their characters. She cultivated a particular love for two female belugas with opposing personalities.

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

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales evolved against a background of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility ascribes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say indicates the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not operate to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand effects of the shutdown. “Concrete is falling apart from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and move about with fragments in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but previously claimed: “The whales … obtain far higher quality veterinary services and around the clock supervision than any person in the UK, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in recent months following the death of Eos, an sick beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the park suspected details of the incident were shared to the media and she was released soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and other caretakers in distress. She says the facility’s warning to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any efforts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “significant staff”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

She backs calls for the whales to be taken immediately from the facility, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a request to transfer the whales to China.

“To approve the request would have meant a perpetual situation in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals are meant for the sea, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an transfer that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments indicate a more general lack of awareness of the realities of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to realize 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. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a solution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received government approval, has shown to be highly debated. The planned location, which includes extensive space of protected cove, is not yet built. Supporters remain hopeful that it could in time represent a long term answer for some of the whales.

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

Different voices say the prospect of a sanctuary reflects a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible solution in the near future.

The project lead, director of the sanctuary project, said the site will replicate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales get from specialists, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|