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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming little “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a tussle between a closed attraction, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated debate over their fate often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government blocked the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled attraction near the famous falls where they are held warned to end their lives unless the federal government funds the cost of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and communal behavior suggest they are highly cognitive mammals – something Kristy Burgess observed first-hand.

Burgess spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that entailed building relationships of the marine predators.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so amazed by the subtleties and unique traits in their characters. She cultivated a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting temperaments.

“Eve chose me. The other required effort,” she said. “Both changed the way I perceive relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s relationship with the whales evolved against a context of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her tenure at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility attributes to age-related causes, but which advocates say points to the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The facility did not open to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the shutdown. “Structural materials is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not comment to a questionnaire, but previously stated: “The whales … receive far higher quality veterinary services and constant attention than any human in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in recent months following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the park suspected details of the death were disclosed to the press and she was let go not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the facility’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any efforts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “significant personnel”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

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

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a bid to send the whales to China.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a ongoing life in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the official commented. “As society, we know that belugas are meant for the sea, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in good conscience approve an transfer that would prolong the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reveal a broader incorrect perception of the facts of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities struggle to find a resolution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received official endorsement, has shown to be contentious. The future location, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain positive that it could ultimately represent a permanent resolution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the possibility of a refuge reflects a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible approach in the near future.

An official, leader of the sanctuary project, said the location will mimic the cognitive activities and diet the whales get 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|