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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a disagreement between a closed attraction, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned debate over their fate often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the people who interact with them daily.

After the federal government prevented the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to end their lives unless the authorities funds the upkeep of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and communal behavior indicate they are highly cognitive creatures – something one caretaker learned personally.

Burgess spent three years as a whale caretaker, a job that entailed building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the nuances and quirks in their personalities. She cultivated a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with different temperaments.

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

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her tenure at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility attributes to expected lifespan, but which activists say reflects the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The facility did not operate to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the cessation. “Structural materials is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and navigate with fragments in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not respond to a inquiry, but earlier stated: “The whales … receive far better veterinary services and around the clock care than any person in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the park in recent months following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the park thought particulars of the incident were leaked to the news outlets and she was released soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and current and former trainers in despair. She says the park’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any efforts to put down even a one beluga would require “significant staff”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

Burgess supports calls for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In late September, Canada’s government official rejected a proposal to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the application would have meant a perpetual life in captivity and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that whales should be in the wild, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an relocation that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments indicate a broader lack of awareness of the realities of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a resolution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of food for Inuit communities.

A proposed refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received official endorsement, has proven contentious. The future facility, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain positive that it could eventually represent a long term solution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the prospect of a protected habitat represents a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a feasible plan in the near future.

Charles Vinick, director of the initiative, said the site will mimic the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|