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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute little “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

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

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense debate over their destiny often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the national authorities prevented the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial attraction near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to put them down unless the federal government pays for the cost of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and social skills indicate they are highly cognitive mammals – something one caretaker discovered personally.

She spent three years as a whale caretaker, a role that involved earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the details and quirks in their dispositions. She formed a deep bond for two female belugas with contrasting natures.

“One whale selected me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “They transformed the way I perceive connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales developed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her time at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which activists say points to the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The facility did not open to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and swim around with pieces in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but in the past claimed: “The whales … get far superior veterinary services and constant supervision than any person in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in recent months following the passing of a beluga, an sick beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the park believed details of the death were leaked to the media and she was released not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the facility’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any efforts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “immense staff”, vehicles and machinery.

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

Burgess backs requests for the whales to be transferred promptly from the facility, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official turned down a request to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a ongoing life in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that belugas are meant for the sea, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in good conscience authorize an relocation that would continue the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements indicate a more general lack of awareness of the realities of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers attempt to find a resolution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a key source of food for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received government approval, has been contentious. The future facility, which includes a large area of protected cove, is not yet built. Proponents remain positive that it could eventually represent a sustainable answer for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the possibility of a sanctuary reflects a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable plan in the near future.

The project lead, leader of the initiative, said the facility will simulate the cognitive activities and diet the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|