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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable little “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

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

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

After the Canadian government disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial attraction near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to end their lives unless the authorities covers the expense of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that request, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, problem solving and communal behavior suggest they are remarkably smart animals – something Kristy Burgess discovered directly.

She spent three years as a beluga trainer, a role that required gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the subtleties and unique traits in their personalities. She formed a particular love for a pair of whales with different temperaments.

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

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales developed against a context of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility links to natural mortality, but which activists say points to the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not operate to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly effects of the shutdown. “Concrete is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and swim around with pieces in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not reply to a request for comment, but earlier claimed: “The whales … get far higher quality medical attention and around the clock care than any individual in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in the spring following the demise of a beluga, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park thought particulars of the death were disclosed to the media and she was let go soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left her and staff members in despair. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any attempts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “considerable staff”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

She backs requests for the whales to be removed immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In recent months, the nation’s government official rejected a bid to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the application would have meant a ongoing existence in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that belugas belong in the ocean, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience permit an export that would prolong the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks indicate a more general misunderstanding of the facts of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in captivity 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 easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a solution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of food for local populations.

A planned sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which now received government approval, has proven contentious. The future site, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Advocates remain positive that it could in time represent a long term resolution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Others say the idea of a refuge represents a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible solution in the coming months.

The project lead, leader of the initiative, said the facility will simulate the cognitive activities and diet the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|