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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute small “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a tussle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated controversy over their destiny often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the people who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling facility near the famous falls where they are kept warned to put them down unless the authorities covers the cost of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that demand, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and group interactions point to they are remarkably smart animals – something one caretaker discovered personally.

Burgess spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a role that involved earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She developed a special affection for two female belugas with opposing temperaments.

“Eve selected me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Both altered the way I perceive relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s interaction with the whales developed against a context of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her tenure at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the park ascribes to natural mortality, but which activists say indicates the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The facility did not operate to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly results of the closure. “Structural materials is breaking off from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not reply to a request for comment, but previously stated: “The whales … obtain far higher quality veterinary services and constant care than any individual in the Britain, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in recent months following the passing of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the park thought particulars of the incident were leaked to the news outlets and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in distress. She says the park’s warning to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any efforts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “considerable manpower”, trucks and machinery.

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

She supports demands for the whales to be transferred promptly from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In recent months, Canada’s government official denied a proposal to send the whales to China.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a continued situation in confinement and a return to display for amusement,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that marine mammals should be in the wild, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience authorize an transfer that would continue the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements reflect a more general misunderstanding of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities work to find a solution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which now received official endorsement, has been contentious. The future location, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a sustainable solution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the possibility of a sanctuary indicates a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible solution in the short term.

The project lead, director of the initiative, said the location will mimic the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|