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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute small “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned debate over their destiny often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government blocked the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling facility near the famous falls where they are held stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the federal government covers the cost of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and communal behavior indicate they are highly cognitive creatures – something a former trainer learned directly.

Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a position that entailed gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so amazed by the subtleties and quirks in their dispositions. She cultivated a deep bond for a pair of whales with contrasting natures.

“Eve accepted me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Both altered the way I understand relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales developed against a context of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility ascribes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say points to the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is breaking off from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and swim around with fragments in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but earlier claimed: “The whales … receive far higher quality veterinary services and around the clock care than any individual in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in early March following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the facility suspected information of the incident were shared to the press and she was released shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s threat to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any attempts to put down even a single beluga would require “immense personnel”, equipment and machinery.

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

She backs demands for the whales to be transferred immediately from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

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

“To approve the application would have meant a continued life in captivity and a return to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals should be in the sea, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an relocation that would continue the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s statements indicate a broader lack of awareness of the facts of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers struggle to find a answer, suggestions have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of food for Indigenous peoples.

A planned sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has been contentious. The future site, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a sustainable answer for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the idea of a refuge reflects a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a workable solution in the short term.

The project lead, leader of the sanctuary project, said the facility will replicate the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|