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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable little “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a disagreement between a defunct facility, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned debate over their destiny often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the people who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities 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 government pays for the cost of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that demand, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and group interactions point to they are deeply intelligent animals – something one caretaker observed directly.

She spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a job that involved earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the outset, 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 wonderful and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the details and quirks in their characters. She cultivated a particular love for a pair of whales with opposing natures.

“One whale selected me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “They changed the way I understand connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales evolved against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her three years at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the park ascribes to natural mortality, but which activists say points to the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The facility did not open to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly results of the shutdown. “Concrete is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not comment to a questionnaire, but in the past asserted: “The whales … obtain far higher quality veterinary services and 24/7 attention than any individual in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in recent months following the demise of a beluga, an unwell beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park believed information of the death were disclosed to the press and she was released not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s warning to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any plans to put down even a individual beluga would require “significant personnel”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

She supports demands for the whales to be removed immediately from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

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

“Allowing the application would have meant a ongoing situation in confinement and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official stated. “As the public, we know that belugas are meant for the sea, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience permit an transfer that would prolong the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments reveal a broader lack of awareness of the realities of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a resolution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for local populations.

A suggested protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received government approval, has proven highly debated. The prospective site, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain positive that it could ultimately represent a long term answer for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the idea of a sanctuary reflects a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a workable solution in the short term.

The project lead, director of the plan, said the facility will simulate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|