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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable small “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a disagreement between a defunct facility, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense discussion over their fate often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the national authorities prevented the export of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near the famous falls where they are held stated it would consider to put them down unless the federal government funds the cost of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, problem solving and communal behavior suggest they are remarkably smart creatures – something a former trainer discovered personally.

Burgess spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a position that required gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the subtleties and unique traits in their personalities. She formed a special affection for a pair of whales with different natures.

“Eve selected me. The other required effort,” she said. “Each altered the way I understand connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, died. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the facility ascribes to natural mortality, but which activists say indicates the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The park did not open to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not reply to a questionnaire, but previously claimed: “The whales … get far better health care and around the clock attention than any person in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an ailing beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the park suspected information of the death were shared to the press and she was fired soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any efforts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “immense personnel”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

She advocates for requests for the whales to be transferred promptly from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a proposal to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a ongoing existence in enclosure and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that whales should be in the sea, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience approve an transfer that would continue the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments reveal a wider lack of awareness of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers struggle to find a resolution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of food for Inuit communities.

A planned sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received regulatory clearance, has shown to be contentious. The prospective facility, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain positive that it could ultimately represent a permanent answer for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s discussed 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 represents a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable approach in the near future.

Charles Vinick, leader of the sanctuary project, said the facility will simulate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales get from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|