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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable little “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga 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 tussle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned controversy over their destiny often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the federal government blocked the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled attraction near the famous falls where they are housed threatened to euthanize them unless the authorities funds the cost of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and group interactions point to they are highly cognitive creatures – something one caretaker observed directly.

Burgess spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a role that involved gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the subtleties and unique traits in their characters. She formed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing natures.

“One whale accepted me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Both altered the way I perceive bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales progressed against a context of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, died. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the park ascribes to age-related causes, but which advocates say points to the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not open to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly consequences of the cessation. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and move about with chunks in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but earlier asserted: “The whales … obtain far superior medical attention and constant supervision than any person in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in early March following the passing of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility thought particulars of the incident were leaked to the media and she was released not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the facility’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any efforts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “immense staff”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

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

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a bid to transfer the whales to China.

“Granting the application would have meant a ongoing life in enclosure and a return to display for amusement,” the minister commented. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals belong in the wild, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience authorize an relocation that would continue the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

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

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities attempt to find a answer, proposals have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a key source of food for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has been contentious. The future facility, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain positive that it could eventually represent a permanent resolution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the possibility of a refuge reflects a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a viable plan in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, leader of the sanctuary project, said the location will simulate the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|