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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a disagreement between a defunct facility, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated controversy over their future often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the federal government prevented the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled facility near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to put them down unless the federal government funds the upkeep of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and communal behavior suggest they are remarkably smart mammals – something Kristy Burgess discovered first-hand.

She spent three years as a whale caretaker, a position that entailed building relationships of the marine predators.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

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

“Eve chose me. The other required effort,” she said. “They transformed the way I understand bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales progressed against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her time at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, died. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park ascribes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say reflects the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not operate to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the cessation. “Structural materials is falling apart from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and navigate with pieces in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not reply to a questionnaire, but in the past claimed: “The whales … receive far superior medical attention and around the clock supervision than any person in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in recent months following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the facility thought information of the incident were shared to the press and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any efforts to put down even a individual beluga would require “significant personnel”, trucks and machinery.

“It’s impossible in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

She advocates for requests for the whales to be transferred promptly from the park, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a bid to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a perpetual situation in captivity and a return to public entertainment,” the minister stated. “As the public, we know that belugas belong in the wild, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in good conscience permit an export that would continue the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements indicate a wider lack of awareness of the realities of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a resolution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of food for local populations.

A proposed refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which now received regulatory clearance, has been contentious. The planned facility, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a long term resolution for some of the whales.

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

Different voices say the possibility of a protected habitat reflects a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible plan in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, director of the initiative, said the facility will mimic the cognitive activities and diet the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|