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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute little “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a disagreement between a shuttered park, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense discussion over their destiny often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who see them each day.

After the federal government blocked the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near the famous falls where they are housed threatened to euthanize them unless the federal government covers the expense of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and communal behavior indicate they are remarkably smart mammals – something a former trainer discovered directly.

She spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a position that involved earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the details and unique traits in their dispositions. She cultivated a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Each changed the way I view connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales progressed against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her three years at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility attributes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say points to the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The facility did not operate to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly effects of the shutdown. “Structural materials is breaking off from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not respond to a inquiry, but earlier stated: “The whales … get far better medical attention and 24/7 care than any human in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the park in early March following the death of Eos, an sick beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park believed information of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and other caretakers in anguish. She says the facility’s warning to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any plans to put down even a one beluga would require “considerable staff”, vehicles and machinery.

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

Burgess supports demands for the whales to be removed right away from the park, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In recent months, Canada’s government official rejected a request to send the whales to China.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a ongoing situation in confinement and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister commented. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals belong in the sea, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience authorize an export that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks reflect a more general lack of awareness of the facts of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities attempt to find a solution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of food for local populations.

A proposed protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received official endorsement, has shown to be contentious. The future site, which includes extensive space of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a permanent solution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the idea of a sanctuary reflects a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible approach in the short term.

Charles Vinick, leader of the initiative, said the facility will replicate the mental engagement and diet the whales get from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|