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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute small “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a tussle between a defunct facility, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the intense controversy over their destiny often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the humans who see them each day.

After the national authorities blocked the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled facility near the famous falls where they are held threatened to put them down unless the government covers the cost of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that demand, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and social skills suggest they are highly cognitive mammals – something one caretaker learned directly.

She spent several years as a whale caretaker, a job that entailed building relationships of the sea creatures.

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

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the details and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She developed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting personalities.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “They altered the way I view relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the facility links to natural mortality, but which activists say points to the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the shutdown. “Concrete is deteriorating from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and swim around with chunks in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not respond to a request for comment, but previously asserted: “The whales … receive far superior medical attention and 24/7 supervision than any individual in the Britain, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in recent months following the passing of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the facility suspected details of the incident were disclosed to the press and she was released shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left her and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “considerable manpower”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

She supports demands for the whales to be removed immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In recent months, the nation’s government official rejected a proposal to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a continued existence in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals should be in the ocean, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing permit an relocation that would continue the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reflect a more general lack of awareness of the realities of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities work to find a answer, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A suggested protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has been highly debated. The future site, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a permanent solution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the prospect of a protected habitat reflects a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a feasible approach in the short term.

Charles Vinick, leader of the plan, said the location will simulate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|