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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming little “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a tussle between a shuttered park, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the intense debate over their destiny often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been closely studied by the humans who see them each day.

After the Canadian government disallowed the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to put them down unless the federal government covers the upkeep of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that demand, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and communal behavior suggest they are deeply intelligent animals – something one caretaker learned first-hand.

Burgess spent several years as a whale caretaker, a position that required gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so amazed by the subtleties and unique traits in their personalities. She developed a special affection for a pair of whales with opposing natures.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Both altered the way I perceive relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales progressed against a context of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, died. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park ascribes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say points to the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The park did not operate to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the shutdown. “Structural materials is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and move about with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not comment to a questionnaire, but in the past claimed: “The whales … get far better health care and constant supervision than any individual in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in recent months following the demise of a beluga, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park believed particulars of the death were leaked to the press and she was released not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left her and other caretakers in anguish. She says the facility’s warning to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “immense manpower”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

Burgess backs requests for the whales to be transferred promptly from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In recent months, Canada’s government official rejected a bid to send the whales to China.

“Allowing the request would have meant a continued situation in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister commented. “As society, we know that belugas are meant for the ocean, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience approve an export that would continue the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks indicate a wider incorrect perception of the realities of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a solution, proposals have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received regulatory clearance, has proven contentious. The planned facility, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Advocates remain hopeful that it could in time represent a permanent answer for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the possibility of a protected habitat represents a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible plan in the short term.

An official, director of the plan, said the facility will mimic the mental engagement and diet the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|