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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a tussle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the intense controversy over their fate often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the federal government prevented the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling facility near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to euthanize them unless the authorities funds the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that request, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and communal behavior point to they are remarkably smart mammals – something a former trainer discovered personally.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a position that involved building relationships of the marine predators.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so surprised by the nuances and quirks in their characters. She developed a deep bond for a pair of whales with contrasting personalities.

“One whale selected me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “They altered the way I perceive connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales progressed against a background of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, died. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the park attributes to age-related causes, but which advocates say points to the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The park did not open to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the shutdown. “Concrete is deteriorating from the pools because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and navigate with pieces in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not reply to a questionnaire, but previously stated: “The whales … obtain far better medical attention and around the clock attention than any human in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in early March following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the facility believed details of the death were leaked to the news outlets and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any efforts to put down even a one beluga would require “significant staff”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

Burgess supports demands for the whales to be removed immediately from the facility, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official rejected a proposal to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the request would have meant a continued existence in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals belong in the wild, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience approve an export that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reveal a broader lack of awareness of the facts of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities attempt to find a answer, ideas have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a important part of food for local populations.

A proposed protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which now received government approval, has proven contentious. The planned site, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain optimistic that it could in time represent a long term solution 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 “only an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the possibility of a sanctuary indicates a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a viable plan in the near future.

The project lead, director of the plan, said the location will replicate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|