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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a disagreement between a closed attraction, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense debate over their future often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the Canadian government blocked the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled facility near the famous falls where they are held stated it would consider to end their lives unless the federal government funds the expense of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that demand, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and group interactions indicate they are remarkably smart mammals – something a former trainer learned personally.

She spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that entailed earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the details and unique traits in their personalities. She cultivated a particular love for a pair of whales with opposing temperaments.

“One whale accepted me. The other required effort,” she said. “They altered the way I understand connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s relationship with the whales evolved against a context of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, died. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the park ascribes to natural mortality, but which advocates say points to the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The facility did not admit visitors to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly effects of the cessation. “Concrete is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not comment to a questionnaire, but in the past stated: “The whales … obtain far higher quality medical attention and 24/7 care than any person in the UK, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in recent months following the passing of Eos, an unwell beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the facility believed information of the death were leaked to the news outlets and she was fired soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left her and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any attempts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “significant manpower”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

Burgess supports calls for the whales to be transferred immediately from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

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

“To approve the request would have meant a ongoing situation in confinement and a return to display for amusement,” the minister stated. “As society, we know that belugas belong in the ocean, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in good conscience permit an transfer that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements reflect a wider incorrect perception of the realities of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities struggle to find a resolution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received regulatory clearance, has been contentious. The future site, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a sustainable resolution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the possibility of a sanctuary reflects a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable plan in the coming months.

An official, leader of the plan, said the location will mimic the mental engagement and diet the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|