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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming small “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a tussle between a defunct facility, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated controversy over their destiny often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government prevented the sale of the belugas to China, the controversial amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to put them down unless the authorities covers the upkeep of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and communal behavior suggest they are deeply intelligent creatures – something a former trainer discovered first-hand.

Burgess spent three years as a whale caretaker, a position that required gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the details and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She developed a particular love for two female belugas with opposing personalities.

“Eve accepted me. The other required effort,” she said. “They changed the way I understand connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales developed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the facility ascribes to age-related causes, but which activists say points to the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The facility did not operate to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand results of the cessation. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and swim around with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

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

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in early March following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the facility suspected information of the death were leaked to the press and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and other caretakers in distress. She says the facility’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any efforts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “immense staff”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

“It cannot happen in hell the caretakers would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess supports demands for the whales to be removed promptly from the facility, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official rejected a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the application would have meant a continued situation in enclosure and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals are meant for the wild, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience permit an relocation that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks reflect a broader lack of awareness of the facts of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a solution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of food for Inuit communities.

A suggested refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received government approval, has been contentious. The prospective facility, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain positive that it could ultimately represent a sustainable solution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the possibility of a protected habitat reflects a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible plan in the near future.

The project lead, leader of the plan, said the location will mimic the cognitive activities and diet the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|