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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a struggle between a shuttered park, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their fate often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the federal government prevented the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept warned to euthanize them unless the government pays for the expense of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and communal behavior suggest they are deeply intelligent animals – something one caretaker discovered first-hand.

She spent several years as a whale caretaker, a position that required gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She cultivated a special affection for a pair of whales with different temperaments.

“One whale chose me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Each altered the way I understand bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales progressed against a context of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her time at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the park ascribes to age-related causes, but which activists say indicates the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The park did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand results of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and swim around with pieces in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not comment to a questionnaire, but earlier claimed: “The whales … get far superior medical attention and 24/7 supervision than any individual in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in recent months following the demise of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the park suspected information of the incident were shared to the news outlets and she was let go not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “immense staff”, trucks and machinery.

“There’s no way in hell the staff would ever do it,” she said.

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

In late September, the nation’s government official rejected a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the request would have meant a perpetual situation in enclosure and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that belugas are meant for the ocean, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience approve an relocation that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks indicate a wider lack of awareness of the facts of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a solution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for local populations.

A suggested protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has proven contentious. The future site, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a long term solution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the prospect of a sanctuary reflects a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a viable solution in the short term.

An official, leader of the sanctuary project, said the location will mimic the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|