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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute small “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a disagreement between a shuttered park, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense debate over their destiny often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the people who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities prevented the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial facility near the famous falls where they are held warned to end their lives unless the government pays for the cost of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and communal behavior suggest they are highly cognitive animals – something one caretaker learned first-hand.

She spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a job that entailed gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“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. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She developed a particular love for two female belugas with contrasting personalities.

“Eve chose me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Both transformed the way I understand bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales evolved against a background of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her time at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, died. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the facility attributes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say points to the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The park did not operate to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes results of the shutdown. “Concrete is falling apart from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not respond to a inquiry, but in the past claimed: “The whales … receive far higher quality veterinary services and around the clock attention than any individual in the Britain, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in recent months following the passing of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the facility believed information of the incident were disclosed to the press and she was released soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s threat to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any efforts to put down even a one beluga would require “considerable staff”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess advocates for demands for the whales to be removed promptly from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a perpetual life in confinement and a return to performance for audiences,” the official wrote. “As society, we know that belugas should be in the sea, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an export that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reveal a more general lack of awareness of the circumstances of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As authorities attempt to find a resolution, ideas have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for local populations.

A proposed sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has shown to be contentious. The future location, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Proponents remain optimistic that it could in time represent a long term resolution 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 untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the prospect of a protected habitat represents a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a workable solution in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, leader of the plan, said the facility will replicate the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales get from trainers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|