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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute small “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a disagreement between a shuttered park, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned debate over their destiny often ignores the nuances 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 prevented the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to euthanize them unless the government covers the expense of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and social skills point to they are remarkably smart mammals – something one caretaker discovered first-hand.

She spent several years as a whale caretaker, a position that required earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so surprised by the details and unique traits in their characters. She formed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting personalities.

“Eve chose me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Each transformed the way I understand connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s relationship with the whales developed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her tenure at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, died. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park links to age-related causes, but which campaigners say reflects the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The facility did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly results of the cessation. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and move about with fragments in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a request for comment, but previously claimed: “The whales … obtain far higher quality veterinary services and around the clock care than any human in the UK, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in recent months following the death of Eos, an sick beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility thought particulars of the incident were shared to the news outlets and she was let go soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the park’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any efforts to put down even a individual beluga would require “considerable personnel”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

She backs requests for the whales to be taken promptly from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a request to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the application would have meant a ongoing existence in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals belong in the sea, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing approve an export that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks indicate a broader incorrect perception of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities work to find a solution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received official endorsement, has been contentious. The future facility, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain positive that it could ultimately represent a permanent answer for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the possibility of a protected habitat represents a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable plan in the coming months.

The project lead, director of the initiative, said the location will replicate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|