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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute little “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a struggle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the heated discussion over their fate often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the people who see them each day.

After the federal government prevented the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled attraction near the famous falls where they are held warned to put them down unless the authorities funds the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and communal behavior point to they are highly cognitive animals – something one caretaker discovered directly.

Burgess spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that involved earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so astounded by the details and quirks in their characters. She formed a special affection for a pair of whales with different personalities.

“Eve selected me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Each transformed the way I perceive connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales evolved against a context of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park links to natural mortality, but which campaigners say points to the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The facility did not open to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the shutdown. “Concrete is falling apart from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and swim around with chunks in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not comment to a request for comment, but previously stated: “The whales … get far better health care and 24/7 attention than any individual in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in recent months following the demise of a beluga, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility suspected information of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was fired soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left her and other caretakers in distress. She says the park’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any plans to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “significant manpower”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

She supports requests for the whales to be transferred promptly from the park, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In late September, Canada’s government official rejected a bid to transfer the whales to China.

“Allowing the application would have meant a ongoing life in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister stated. “As society, we know that belugas should be in the wild, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience authorize an export that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reveal a broader misunderstanding of the circumstances of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities work to find a resolution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A planned protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has been most controversial. The planned location, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain positive that it could in time represent a sustainable answer for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ future.

Others say the possibility of a refuge represents a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a workable solution in the near future.

The project lead, director of the plan, said the location will replicate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|