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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a struggle between a closed attraction, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the heated controversy over their future often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the federal government prevented the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near the famous falls where they are housed threatened to end their lives unless the federal government covers the upkeep of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and social skills suggest they are deeply intelligent mammals – something one caretaker discovered directly.

Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a role that involved building relationships of the marine predators.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, 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 amazed by the details and quirks in their dispositions. She formed a deep bond for two female belugas with opposing natures.

“One whale selected me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They transformed the way I perceive relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s relationship with the whales progressed against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her tenure at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the park ascribes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say reflects the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not admit visitors to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the cessation. “Structural materials is falling apart from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not reply to a questionnaire, but earlier claimed: “The whales … receive far superior veterinary services and constant attention than any person in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in the spring following the death of Eos, an sick beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected details of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was let go not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s warning to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any efforts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “immense personnel”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess advocates for calls for the whales to be transferred right away from the park, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a proposal to export the whales to China.

“Allowing the application would have meant a continued existence in captivity and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that whales belong in the sea, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing approve an export that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments indicate a wider lack of awareness of the circumstances of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers attempt to find a solution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of food for local populations.

A suggested refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has shown to be highly debated. The prospective location, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain positive that it could ultimately represent a permanent answer for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the idea of a sanctuary reflects a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a feasible plan in the coming months.

An official, leader of the initiative, said the site will mimic the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|