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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable small “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a tussle between a closed attraction, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense discussion over their destiny often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government blocked the export of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near the famous falls where they are housed warned to euthanize them unless the government funds the upkeep of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and communal behavior suggest they are remarkably smart animals – something one caretaker learned first-hand.

Burgess spent three years as a whale caretaker, a job that involved earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She developed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing personalities.

“One whale selected me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Both changed the way I view bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

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

During her three years at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility attributes to natural mortality, but which activists say reflects the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The park did not admit visitors to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the cessation. “Concrete is falling apart from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and swim around with pieces in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not comment to a questionnaire, but earlier stated: “The whales … obtain far better medical attention and around the clock attention than any person in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an ailing beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the park suspected details of the incident were leaked to the media and she was fired not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the facility’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any plans to put down even a individual beluga would require “significant manpower”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

She backs requests for the whales to be taken right away from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In late September, the nation’s government official rejected a request to send the whales to China.

“Allowing the application would have meant a ongoing existence in captivity and a return to display for amusement,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that marine mammals should be in the ocean, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an transfer that would prolong the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s statements reflect a more general misunderstanding of the realities of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials struggle to find a resolution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received government approval, has been contentious. The future site, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Advocates remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a permanent answer for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the idea of a sanctuary indicates a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a workable solution in the near future.

Charles Vinick, director of the initiative, said the location will simulate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|