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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming small “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a struggle between a closed attraction, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense debate over their destiny often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been carefully observed by the people who work with them regularly.

After the federal government blocked the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to end their lives unless the federal government funds the upkeep of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and group interactions suggest they are remarkably smart mammals – something a former trainer learned personally.

She spent several years as a beluga trainer, a role that entailed earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the details and quirks in their characters. She developed a special affection for a pair of whales with contrasting personalities.

“One whale selected me. The other required effort,” she said. “They transformed the way I perceive connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales developed against a background of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park ascribes to age-related causes, but which activists say points to the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The facility did not admit visitors to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the shutdown. “Concrete is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and navigate with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not reply to a request for comment, but previously stated: “The whales … obtain far better veterinary services and constant attention than any individual in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the facility thought information of the death were shared to the news outlets and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in distress. She says the facility’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any efforts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “significant staff”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

She supports requests for the whales to be removed right away from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

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

“Granting the proposal would have meant a continued existence in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that belugas should be in the wild, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an export that would continue the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks reflect a wider lack of awareness of the realities of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As authorities struggle to find a solution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A planned protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has been contentious. The planned facility, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain positive that it could eventually represent a permanent resolution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the possibility of a sanctuary reflects a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a workable plan in the near future.

Charles Vinick, director of the sanctuary project, said the site will mimic the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales get from trainers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|