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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming small “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a disagreement between a shuttered park, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned discussion over their future often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been carefully observed by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government prevented the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling attraction near the famous falls where they are housed warned to end their lives unless the authorities covers the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and communal behavior suggest they are highly cognitive mammals – something a former trainer observed first-hand.

She spent three years as a whale caretaker, a position that required gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She developed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with different natures.

“One whale accepted me. The other required effort,” she said. “Both changed the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales progressed against a background of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her time at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, died. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility links to age-related causes, but which campaigners say indicates the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not admit visitors to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not comment to a questionnaire, but previously stated: “The whales … get far higher quality medical attention and constant care than any human in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in the spring following the passing of Eos, an sick beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the facility thought information of the incident were shared to the media and she was released shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left her and staff members in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any attempts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “considerable manpower”, trucks and machinery.

“There’s no way in hell the caretakers would ever do it,” she said.

She supports calls for the whales to be removed promptly from the park, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In recent months, Canada’s government official denied a bid to export the whales to China.

“Allowing the request would have meant a ongoing situation in confinement and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that belugas are meant for the ocean, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience approve an export that would prolong the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements indicate a wider incorrect perception of the realities of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities struggle to find a solution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of food for Indigenous peoples.

A planned protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has proven highly debated. The future location, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain positive that it could eventually represent a sustainable solution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the possibility of a protected habitat indicates a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable solution in the near future.

The project lead, director of the initiative, said the location will simulate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|