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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable little “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a struggle between a defunct facility, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated debate over their destiny often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities disallowed the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near the famous falls where they are housed threatened to end their lives unless the authorities funds the expense of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and group interactions suggest they are highly cognitive mammals – something a former trainer observed first-hand.

She spent several years as a whale caretaker, a job that required building relationships of the marine predators.

“Establishing those relationships 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 vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the details and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She cultivated a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting temperaments.

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

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales evolved against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her tenure at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility ascribes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say points to the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The facility did not open to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the shutdown. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and navigate with pieces in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not respond to a questionnaire, but earlier stated: “The whales … get far better veterinary services and 24/7 attention than any human in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in early March following the passing of Eos, an sick beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the facility thought details of the incident were leaked to the press and she was fired not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and other caretakers in anguish. She says the park’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any plans to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “immense manpower”, vehicles and machinery.

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

She advocates for requests for the whales to be taken right away from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In late September, the nation’s government official rejected a bid to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a ongoing situation in captivity and a return to public entertainment,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals should be in the ocean, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience authorize an export that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments reflect a broader misunderstanding of the realities of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials work to find a answer, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A proposed refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received regulatory clearance, has proven contentious. The planned facility, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Proponents remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a long term answer for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the prospect of a sanctuary represents a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a workable approach in the near future.

An official, director of the plan, said the facility will simulate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|