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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute small “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a tussle between a defunct facility, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense debate over their fate often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the national authorities prevented the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling attraction near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to end their lives unless the federal government pays for the cost of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and communal behavior point to they are deeply intelligent creatures – something Kristy Burgess learned directly.

She spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a role that involved earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the details and quirks in their characters. She developed a particular love for a pair of whales with different natures.

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

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s connection with the whales evolved against a context of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her tenure at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the park links to natural mortality, but which activists say indicates the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The facility did not open to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the shutdown. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and swim around with chunks in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not reply to a request for comment, but previously claimed: “The whales … obtain far better veterinary services and around the clock attention than any individual in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in early March following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the facility suspected information of the death were leaked to the news outlets and she was released not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any attempts to put down even a single beluga would require “considerable manpower”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

Burgess supports requests for the whales to be taken immediately from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a request to export the whales to China.

“To approve the application would have meant a ongoing situation in captivity and a return to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As society, we know that whales should be in the ocean, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an relocation that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments indicate a broader lack of awareness of the facts of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As authorities attempt to find a solution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of sustenance for local populations.

A proposed refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has shown to be highly debated. The future facility, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain positive that it could eventually represent a permanent answer for eight of the whales.

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

Different voices say the prospect of a refuge indicates a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable approach in the near future.

Charles Vinick, director of the initiative, said the location will replicate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|