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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming little “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a tussle between a shuttered park, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the intense discussion over their fate often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been closely studied by the people who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities disallowed the transfer of the belugas to China, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are housed threatened to put them down unless the authorities funds the expense of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and group interactions suggest they are remarkably smart mammals – something one caretaker learned personally.

Burgess spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that entailed gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She cultivated a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with different natures.

“One whale selected me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Both changed the way I understand relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales progressed against a background of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her three years at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility links to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say reflects the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the cessation. “Concrete is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and move about with fragments in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not reply to a questionnaire, but previously claimed: “The whales … get far superior veterinary services and around the clock attention than any human in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in recent months following the passing of Eos, an ailing beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility thought details of the incident were shared to the news outlets and she was let go not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left her and staff members in despair. She says the facility’s threat to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any attempts to put down even a individual beluga would require “immense personnel”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

She backs demands for the whales to be removed promptly from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In late September, Canada’s government official denied a proposal to transfer the whales to China.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a perpetual life in confinement and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that whales are meant for the ocean, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an export that would continue the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks reveal a more general lack of awareness of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to understand 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 simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a solution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A proposed refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received government approval, has shown to be contentious. The future location, which includes extensive space of protected cove, is not yet built. Proponents remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a sustainable answer for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the prospect of a sanctuary represents a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a feasible solution in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, director of the initiative, said the site will mimic the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|