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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute little “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a disagreement between a defunct facility, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated controversy over their future often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the people who see them each day.

After the federal government blocked the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to end their lives unless the federal government funds the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and social skills indicate they are deeply intelligent creatures – something a former trainer discovered directly.

She spent three years as a beluga trainer, a job that involved building relationships of the marine predators.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity 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 magical and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She cultivated a deep bond for a pair of whales with different temperaments.

“One whale accepted me. The other required effort,” she said. “Both transformed the way I perceive relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales evolved against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her three years at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the facility links to age-related causes, but which advocates say reflects the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The facility did not open to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the cessation. “Concrete is breaking off from the pools because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but earlier asserted: “The whales … receive far higher quality medical attention and 24/7 attention than any person in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in recent months following the passing of a beluga, an ailing beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the facility believed information of the incident were shared to the press and she was released soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the park’s threat to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “immense staff”, trucks and machinery.

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

Burgess advocates for demands for the whales to be removed promptly from the park, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official turned down a bid to export the whales to China.

“To approve the request would have meant a ongoing situation in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the official stated. “As society, we know that whales should be in the sea, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in good conscience permit an transfer that would continue the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments reveal a broader lack of awareness of the facts of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As authorities work to find a answer, ideas have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of food for Inuit communities.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which now received official endorsement, has been most controversial. The prospective location, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Supporters remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a long term solution for a number of the whales.

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

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

The project lead, leader of the plan, said the facility will replicate the cognitive activities and diet the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|