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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming little “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a disagreement between a defunct facility, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned controversy over their fate often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been carefully observed by the people who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities prevented the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling attraction near the famous falls where they are housed stated it would consider to end their lives unless the government funds the expense of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that demand, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and social skills point to they are highly cognitive mammals – something a former trainer learned directly.

Burgess spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that required earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She developed a special affection for two female belugas with contrasting temperaments.

“One whale chose me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Each transformed the way I view bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

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

During her time at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the park links to age-related causes, but which campaigners say reflects the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand effects of the shutdown. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and move about with fragments in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not reply to a request for comment, but earlier asserted: “The whales … obtain far superior veterinary services and around the clock care than any human in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in early March following the demise of a beluga, an sick beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the facility thought particulars of the death were shared to the media and she was released soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left her and staff members in despair. She says the park’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any plans to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “considerable staff”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

Burgess backs demands for the whales to be transferred right away from the park, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the application would have meant a perpetual life in enclosure and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that marine mammals are meant for the wild, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an export that would prolong the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements indicate a more general incorrect perception of the facts of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a answer, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A proposed protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received government approval, has been contentious. The planned site, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain positive that it could ultimately represent a permanent solution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the idea of a sanctuary indicates a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable solution in the coming months.

An official, director of the sanctuary project, said the location will simulate the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|