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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a tussle between a closed attraction, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their fate often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities prevented the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near the famous falls where they are held warned to put them down unless the authorities covers the upkeep of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and group interactions point to they are highly cognitive creatures – something Kristy Burgess learned first-hand.

She spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a job that entailed building relationships of the marine predators.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so surprised by the nuances and unique traits in their characters. She formed a special affection for a pair of whales with different personalities.

“One whale selected me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “They changed the way I perceive bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales developed against a background of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park attributes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say points to the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The park did not operate to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the shutdown. “Structural materials is breaking off from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and move about with fragments in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not reply to a request for comment, but in the past asserted: “The whales … receive far higher quality veterinary services and 24/7 care than any individual in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in recent months following the passing of a beluga, an sick beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park believed details of the incident were shared to the press and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left her and staff members in despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any efforts to put down even a one beluga would require “significant personnel”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

She supports requests for the whales to be transferred immediately from the park, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

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

“To approve the proposal would have meant a continued situation in captivity and a return to display for amusement,” the minister commented. “As Canadians, we know that belugas belong in the ocean, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in good conscience approve an relocation that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements indicate a broader lack of awareness of the realities of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities struggle to find a resolution, ideas have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received official endorsement, has proven most controversial. The prospective facility, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Supporters remain hopeful that it could in time represent a long term solution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the prospect of a refuge indicates a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a viable approach in the near future.

The project lead, leader of the initiative, said the site will replicate the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales get from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|