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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable small “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a struggle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

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

After the national authorities disallowed the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling facility near the famous falls where they are housed warned to put them down unless the authorities covers the upkeep of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, problem solving and communal behavior point to they are deeply intelligent animals – something one caretaker discovered directly.

Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a job that involved gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so surprised by the details and quirks in their characters. She cultivated a particular love for a pair of whales with opposing natures.

“Eve accepted me. The other demanded work,” she said. “They altered the way I perceive relationships.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales evolved against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her time at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility ascribes to natural mortality, but which activists say reflects the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The park did not admit visitors to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the cessation. “Structural materials is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not comment to a questionnaire, but in the past claimed: “The whales … get far better health care and 24/7 attention than any person in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in recent months following the death of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park believed details of the death were disclosed to the press and she was fired not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the park’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any efforts to put down even a individual beluga would require “significant staff”, equipment and machinery.

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

Burgess backs demands for the whales to be transferred right away from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a request to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the application would have meant a ongoing life in confinement and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that whales are meant for the sea, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience authorize an relocation that would prolong the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments reveal a broader lack of awareness of the circumstances of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a answer, proposals have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a important part of nourishment for local populations.

A suggested refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which now received official endorsement, has proven highly debated. The future facility, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a permanent answer for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the idea of a refuge indicates a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a viable plan in the near future.

An official, head of the plan, said the site will mimic the mental engagement and diet the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|