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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an charming small “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a struggle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the heated debate over their fate often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been closely studied by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the federal government blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial facility near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to end their lives unless the government covers the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and communal behavior indicate they are remarkably smart animals – something one caretaker discovered first-hand.

She spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a position that required earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Developing those relationships 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 shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She cultivated a deep bond for a pair of whales with different temperaments.

“One whale chose me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “They transformed the way I perceive relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales developed against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have died 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 maintained.

The park did not open to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the closure. “Concrete is breaking off from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and navigate with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not reply to a request for comment, but previously asserted: “The whales … get far better medical attention and constant supervision than any human in the Britain, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in early March following the passing of a beluga, an sick beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park thought information of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was let go not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the facility’s threat to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “immense staff”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

“It cannot happen in hell the staff would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess backs requests for the whales to be removed promptly from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

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

“Granting the application would have meant a perpetual situation in captivity and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals belong in the wild, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing approve an transfer that would prolong the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments reflect a wider lack of awareness of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities attempt to find a answer, proposals have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A planned sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received government approval, has been contentious. The planned facility, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain optimistic that it could in time represent a sustainable solution for eight of the whales.

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

Some experts say the possibility of a sanctuary represents a worldwide trend 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 simulate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|