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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a tussle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense discussion over their future often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been carefully observed by the humans who see them each day.

After the national authorities blocked the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial facility near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to end their lives unless the authorities pays for the cost of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and social skills suggest they are highly cognitive mammals – something one caretaker learned first-hand.

She spent three years as a whale caretaker, a position that involved gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“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 rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She developed a special affection for two female belugas with different natures.

“Eve accepted me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Each changed the way I perceive relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales evolved against a context of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility attributes to age-related causes, but which advocates say reflects the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The facility did not operate to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and swim around with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not respond to a questionnaire, but in the past claimed: “The whales … receive far higher quality medical attention and around the clock supervision than any human in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in recent months following the death of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected details of the death were leaked to the press and she was released not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and current and former trainers in distress. She says the facility’s threat to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any plans to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “considerable staff”, trucks and machinery.

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

Burgess backs demands for the whales to be removed immediately from the facility, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a bid to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the request would have meant a perpetual existence in captivity and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official wrote. “As the public, we know that whales are meant for the ocean, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing authorize an export that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have suffered.”

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

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities attempt to find a solution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a important part of food for Inuit communities.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has shown to be highly debated. The planned site, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Advocates remain hopeful that it could in time represent a long term answer for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Others say the idea of a sanctuary reflects a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a workable plan in the near future.

Charles Vinick, leader of the sanctuary project, said the site will simulate the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|