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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a struggle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the intense debate over their future often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government disallowed the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling attraction near the famous falls where they are housed warned to euthanize them unless the government covers the cost of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and group interactions suggest they are remarkably smart mammals – something one caretaker discovered first-hand.

She spent three years as a beluga trainer, a position that required earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so amazed by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She cultivated a deep bond for a pair of whales with opposing temperaments.

“One whale accepted me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “They transformed the way I understand bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s relationship with the whales developed against a context of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her tenure at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park attributes to age-related causes, but which activists say points to the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The facility did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly results of the shutdown. “Structural materials is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and move about with chunks in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

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

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in early March following the passing of a beluga, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the park believed information of the incident were shared to the media and she was released soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s threat to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any attempts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “significant staff”, equipment and machinery.

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

She advocates for calls for the whales to be removed immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In late September, the nation’s government official turned down a bid to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a perpetual situation in enclosure and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that marine mammals should be in the sea, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an relocation that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments indicate a more general lack of awareness of the realities of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a solution, ideas have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for local populations.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received government approval, has shown to be contentious. The future facility, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a sustainable resolution for a number of the whales.

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

Others say the prospect of a protected habitat indicates a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible plan in the short term.

An official, leader of the initiative, said the facility will simulate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales get from trainers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|