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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute small “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a disagreement between a defunct facility, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the intense controversy over their future often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the federal government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to China, the controversial attraction near the famous falls where they are housed warned to put them down unless the federal government funds the upkeep of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and communal behavior point to they are highly cognitive creatures – something one caretaker discovered personally.

Burgess spent several years as a whale caretaker, a job that required earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the details and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She formed a particular love for a pair of whales with contrasting natures.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “They transformed the way I perceive relationships.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s connection with the whales evolved against a context of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her three years at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, died. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the facility links to age-related causes, but which advocates say points to the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The park did not open to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the closure. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not comment to a questionnaire, but in the past stated: “The whales … get far better health care and constant care than any person in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in the spring following the demise of a beluga, an unwell beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park suspected particulars of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left her and other caretakers in anguish. She says the park’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any plans to euthanize even a one beluga would require “immense manpower”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

She supports demands for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official denied a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the request would have meant a perpetual life in enclosure and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that whales should be in the wild, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing permit an relocation that would prolong the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s statements reveal a broader misunderstanding of the facts of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement 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 ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities struggle to find a answer, ideas have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A suggested refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received government approval, has shown to be highly debated. The future site, which includes a large area of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain optimistic that it could in time represent a permanent resolution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the idea of a protected habitat reflects a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a viable approach in the short term.

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