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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable little “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a tussle between a shuttered park, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned debate over their future often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities prevented the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling facility near the famous falls where they are housed warned to end their lives unless the government funds the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that request, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and group interactions indicate they are highly cognitive creatures – something one caretaker learned personally.

She spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that involved gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, 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 very smart, but she says she was even so amazed by the details and quirks in their characters. She developed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with different temperaments.

“Eve selected me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Each altered the way I view connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s connection with the whales evolved against a background of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her three years at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, died. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the park links to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say indicates the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The park did not open to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand results of the cessation. “Structural materials is falling apart from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and move about with pieces in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a request for comment, but earlier claimed: “The whales … obtain far higher quality medical attention and 24/7 care than any person in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in the spring following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility believed information of the incident were shared to the press and she was let go not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s threat to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any attempts to put down even a individual beluga would require “considerable staff”, vehicles and machinery.

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

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

In the autumn, Canada’s government official denied a request to transfer the whales to China.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a ongoing existence in confinement and a return to display for amusement,” the official commented. “As Canadians, we know that belugas should be in the sea, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in good conscience approve an relocation that would continue the situation these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reflect a more general misunderstanding of the realities of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a answer, ideas have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A planned sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which has received regulatory clearance, has proven contentious. The future facility, which includes a large area of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain hopeful that it could in time represent a sustainable solution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the prospect of a sanctuary indicates a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a workable approach in the short term.

The project lead, leader of the sanctuary project, said the location will simulate the mental engagement and diet the whales get from trainers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|