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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute little “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a struggle between a defunct facility, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated controversy over their future often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government blocked the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near the famous falls where they are housed stated it would consider to put them down unless the federal government funds the upkeep of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and group interactions suggest they are highly cognitive animals – something one caretaker discovered first-hand.

Burgess spent several years as a whale caretaker, a job that involved earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so surprised by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She developed a particular love for two female belugas with different temperaments.

“Eve chose me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Each changed the way I view connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales developed against a context of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her three years at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the park ascribes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say reflects the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not open to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand effects of the closure. “Structural materials is breaking off from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not comment to a inquiry, but previously claimed: “The whales … obtain far higher quality health care and around the clock attention than any individual in the Britain, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the park in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the park suspected details of the death were disclosed to the press and she was let go not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s warning to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “significant manpower”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess backs demands for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a request to transfer the whales to China.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a continued situation in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that belugas belong in the sea, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience approve an export that would prolong the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks indicate a more general incorrect perception of the realities of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers work to find a resolution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received government approval, has proven contentious. The prospective site, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a sustainable answer for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the possibility of a refuge represents a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a viable plan in the short term.

Charles Vinick, head of the plan, said the location will replicate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|