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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute small “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a disagreement between a closed attraction, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated debate over their fate often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government disallowed the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling facility near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the federal government pays for the expense of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and social skills indicate they are deeply intelligent mammals – something a former trainer discovered first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a role that involved earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

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

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so surprised by the details and unique traits in their characters. She developed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with different personalities.

“One whale selected me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Both changed the way I perceive connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales developed against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, died. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility ascribes to age-related causes, but which activists say indicates the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The facility did not admit visitors to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the cessation. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and swim around with chunks in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but in the past claimed: “The whales … get far higher quality health care and 24/7 supervision than any person in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in the spring following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the facility believed details of the death were shared to the news outlets and she was fired not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the facility’s warning to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any efforts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “immense staff”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

She supports calls for the whales to be transferred immediately from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

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

“Granting the proposal would have meant a perpetual existence in confinement and a return to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that whales belong in the ocean, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in good conscience approve an relocation that would prolong the situation these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements reveal a broader incorrect perception of the realities of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in captivity 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 simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a resolution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of food for Indigenous peoples.

A planned protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has proven contentious. The future facility, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a sustainable resolution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the possibility of a protected habitat indicates a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible plan in the short term.

An official, director of the initiative, said the location will mimic the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|