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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable little “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a struggle between a closed attraction, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense controversy over their destiny often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government prevented the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling facility near the famous falls where they are held warned to end their lives unless the government covers the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that demand, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and communal behavior point to they are highly cognitive animals – something Kristy Burgess observed directly.

Burgess spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a position that entailed building relationships of the marine predators.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so surprised by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She developed a special affection for two female belugas with different temperaments.

“One whale chose me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Each transformed the way I perceive bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s connection with the whales evolved against a background of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her three years at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, died. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the facility ascribes to age-related causes, but which advocates say indicates the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The facility did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly consequences of the cessation. “Structural materials is breaking off from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and swim around with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but previously claimed: “The whales … obtain far superior veterinary services and constant care than any individual in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in recent months following the demise of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the park suspected details of the incident were leaked to the press and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess 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 “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any plans to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “considerable manpower”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

She backs calls for the whales to be taken promptly from the facility, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a request to send the whales to China.

“To approve the application would have meant a ongoing life in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that whales belong in the wild, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in good conscience authorize an export that would continue the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reflect a broader incorrect perception of the circumstances of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

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

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a answer, suggestions have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of food for Inuit communities.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received official endorsement, has proven highly debated. The prospective location, which includes a large area of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a sustainable resolution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the idea of a protected habitat represents a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a workable approach in the coming months.

An official, leader of the sanctuary project, said the facility will replicate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales get from specialists, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|