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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a tussle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned discussion over their destiny often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the people who see them each day.

After the national authorities blocked the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled facility near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to end their lives unless the authorities funds the upkeep of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that request, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and social skills suggest they are highly cognitive mammals – something a former trainer observed directly.

She spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that entailed building relationships of the marine predators.

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

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the details and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She formed a particular love for two female belugas with different temperaments.

“One whale chose me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Both transformed the way I perceive relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

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

During her time at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the facility ascribes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say points to the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not open to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the closure. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and swim around with pieces in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not respond to a inquiry, but previously asserted: “The whales … receive far higher quality veterinary services and 24/7 care than any person in the Britain, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in the spring following the death of a beluga, an unwell beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the park thought details of the death were leaked to the news outlets and she was let go not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and current and former trainers in distress. She says the facility’s warning to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “immense personnel”, vehicles and machinery.

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

Burgess supports demands for the whales to be transferred right away from the facility, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official rejected a request to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a continued life in confinement and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official commented. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals should be in the sea, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience approve an relocation that would continue the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments indicate a wider lack of awareness of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities struggle to find a resolution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of food for local populations.

A proposed protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which now received official endorsement, has proven most controversial. The prospective location, which includes extensive space of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a permanent solution for some of the whales.

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

Some experts say the prospect of a protected habitat indicates a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a viable plan in the short term.

The project lead, head of the plan, said the location will replicate the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales get from trainers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|