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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a disagreement between a defunct facility, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned debate over their future often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government disallowed the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near the famous falls where they are held warned to end their lives unless the government covers the upkeep of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, problem solving and communal behavior indicate they are deeply intelligent mammals – something one caretaker discovered directly.

She spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a job that entailed earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the nuances and unique traits in their personalities. She cultivated a deep bond for two female belugas with different temperaments.

“One whale selected me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Each transformed the way I understand relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

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

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the facility attributes to age-related causes, but which advocates say reflects the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not open to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly results of the shutdown. “Structural materials is falling apart from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and move about with fragments in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not reply to a inquiry, but in the past claimed: “The whales … obtain far higher quality veterinary services and 24/7 attention than any person in the Britain, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in the spring following the passing of Eos, an ailing beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the park believed particulars of the death were disclosed to the news outlets and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left her and staff members in despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any plans to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “considerable staff”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

Burgess supports calls for the whales to be removed right away from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a request to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the application would have meant a perpetual life in captivity and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister wrote. “As society, we know that marine mammals belong in the sea, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an transfer that would continue the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks reflect a wider lack of awareness of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many 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 answer, proposals have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a important part of food for Inuit communities.

A planned refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which has received regulatory clearance, has shown to be highly debated. The planned facility, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Advocates remain optimistic that it could in time represent a sustainable answer for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the prospect 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 sanctuary project, said the location will mimic the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|