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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a struggle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense controversy over their destiny often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities disallowed the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling amusement park near the famous falls where they are housed threatened to euthanize them unless the government funds the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and communal behavior suggest they are remarkably smart animals – something one caretaker observed directly.

She spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a role that required earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the nuances and quirks in their dispositions. She cultivated a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with different natures.

“One whale chose me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Each altered the way I perceive bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales evolved against a background of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her tenure at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say indicates the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not admit visitors to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and swim around with fragments in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but in the past stated: “The whales … get far better medical attention and 24/7 attention than any human in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in the spring following the passing of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility believed information of the incident were shared to the news outlets and she was let go soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any plans to put down even a one beluga would require “significant manpower”, trucks and machinery.

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

She backs calls for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

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

“To approve the application would have meant a ongoing life in enclosure and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that whales belong in the wild, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience approve an export that would prolong the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reveal a more general lack of awareness of the realities of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a resolution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A planned protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received official endorsement, has proven contentious. The planned location, which includes extensive space of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain positive that it could eventually represent a permanent answer for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Others say the possibility of a refuge reflects a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable approach in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, leader of the plan, said the site will replicate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|