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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a tussle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the heated discussion over their fate often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government blocked the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling attraction near the famous falls where they are housed threatened to put them down unless the government covers the upkeep of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that request, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and communal behavior indicate they are deeply intelligent animals – something a former trainer learned personally.

She spent several years as a beluga trainer, a job that required earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She formed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with different personalities.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Each transformed the way I perceive connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales progressed against a background of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her three years at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the park ascribes to age-related causes, but which activists say reflects the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not operate to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes effects of the closure. “Concrete is breaking off from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and swim around with fragments in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not comment to a questionnaire, but in the past asserted: “The whales … get far better veterinary services and 24/7 attention than any person in the UK, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in early March following the demise of a beluga, an sick beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the park thought details of the incident were shared to the press and she was let go soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and current and former trainers in distress. She says the park’s warning to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any efforts to put down even a individual beluga would require “considerable manpower”, trucks and machinery.

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

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

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a request to export the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the request would have meant a perpetual situation in captivity and a return to performance for audiences,” the official wrote. “As society, we know that belugas belong in the sea, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing authorize an relocation that would continue the situation these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reflect a broader incorrect perception of the facts of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities work to find a solution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A proposed refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has been highly debated. The prospective facility, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain positive that it could ultimately represent a long term solution for some of the whales.

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

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

The project lead, head of the initiative, said the site will replicate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|