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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways 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 entertainment facility have been caught in a tussle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the heated controversy over their future often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the federal government blocked the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled facility near the famous falls where they are held warned to euthanize them unless the federal government covers the cost of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that request, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and social skills point to they are highly cognitive mammals – something one caretaker learned personally.

She spent several years as a beluga trainer, a job that entailed gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. 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 magical and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so surprised by the subtleties and quirks in their characters. She cultivated a particular love for two female belugas with different personalities.

“One whale chose me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Both altered the way I view bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s relationship with the whales developed against a context of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility links to age-related causes, but which activists say indicates the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The park did not open to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the shutdown. “Concrete is falling apart from the pools because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and move about with fragments in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not reply to a questionnaire, but earlier claimed: “The whales … obtain far better health care and 24/7 attention than any human in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the park in the spring following the demise of Eos, an ailing beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the park suspected details of the death were shared to the press and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any plans to put down even a single beluga would require “immense manpower”, trucks and machinery.

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

Burgess supports demands for the whales to be taken immediately from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In late September, the nation’s government official denied a bid to send the whales to China.

“Granting the application would have meant a perpetual life in confinement and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official wrote. “As the public, we know that marine mammals are meant for the wild, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an export that would continue the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements reflect a more general misunderstanding of the facts of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities struggle to find a solution, proposals have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for local populations.

A proposed refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has been contentious. The prospective site, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a permanent solution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the prospect of a refuge represents a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable solution in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, director of the initiative, said the location will replicate the mental engagement and diet the whales get from specialists, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|