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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a disagreement between a shuttered park, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their destiny often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the federal government prevented the transfer of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near the famous falls where they are held threatened to end their lives unless the government pays for the upkeep of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, problem solving and communal behavior suggest they are highly cognitive mammals – something a former trainer learned personally.

Burgess spent three years as a beluga trainer, a role that involved earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so amazed by the nuances and quirks in their dispositions. She cultivated a special affection for a pair of whales with opposing personalities.

“One whale chose me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Both transformed the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales progressed against a background of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her time at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the park links to natural mortality, but which activists say indicates the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not admit visitors to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes results of the shutdown. “Concrete is breaking off from the pools because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and move about with fragments in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but earlier claimed: “The whales … obtain far better veterinary services and 24/7 care than any person in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in early March following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility believed information of the death were leaked to the media and she was let go not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and other caretakers in despair. She says the park’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “immense manpower”, vehicles and specialized tools.

“There’s no way in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

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

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a bid to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the application would have meant a ongoing existence in captivity and a return to public entertainment,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that whales are meant for the wild, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience approve an relocation that would continue the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks reveal a broader lack of awareness of the facts of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers struggle to find a answer, ideas have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of food for Inuit communities.

A suggested sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received official endorsement, has proven contentious. The planned facility, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Proponents remain hopeful that it could in time represent a long term solution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the prospect of a refuge indicates a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a viable plan in the short term.

The project lead, head of the plan, 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 health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|