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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable little “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a defunct facility, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the intense controversy over their future often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been closely studied by the people who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government disallowed the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled facility near the famous falls where they are housed stated it would consider to put them down unless the government funds the cost of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that demand, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and communal behavior point to they are deeply intelligent mammals – something one caretaker learned first-hand.

She spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a job that involved building relationships of the aquatic animals.

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

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the subtleties and quirks in their dispositions. She developed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting natures.

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

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales developed against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her time at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the park links to expected lifespan, but which advocates say points to the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The facility did not open to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the shutdown. “Concrete is breaking off from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and navigate with fragments in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not comment to a questionnaire, but in the past asserted: “The whales … receive far better health care and constant care than any individual in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

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 facility suspected information of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was fired not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “immense staff”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

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

In late September, the nation’s government official turned down a proposal to send the whales to China.

“Granting the request would have meant a perpetual life in confinement and a return to display for amusement,” the official wrote. “As society, we know that whales should be in the sea, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing approve an relocation that would continue the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements reveal a broader misunderstanding of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers struggle to find a resolution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for local populations.

A planned sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received government approval, has shown to be highly debated. The prospective facility, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain positive that it could in time represent a permanent solution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the idea of a refuge indicates a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible solution in the short term.

Charles Vinick, head of the plan, said the facility will replicate the cognitive activities and diet the whales get from trainers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|