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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming small “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a tussle between a defunct facility, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the intense discussion over their destiny often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the humans who see them each day.

After the federal government blocked the export 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 authorities covers the upkeep of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and group interactions indicate they are deeply intelligent mammals – something a former trainer learned first-hand.

She spent three years as a beluga trainer, a job that required earning the trust of the marine predators.

“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. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so amazed by the nuances and unique traits in their characters. She formed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing temperaments.

“One whale selected me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “They altered the way I view bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales developed against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her time at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, died. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility attributes to age-related causes, but which activists say points to the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the shutdown. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and move about with fragments in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not comment to a request for comment, but previously asserted: “The whales … receive far better veterinary services and constant care than any human in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in early March following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the park thought particulars of the death were leaked to the news outlets and she was released not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the park’s threat to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any attempts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “significant staff”, equipment and machinery.

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

Burgess backs demands for the whales to be transferred immediately from the park, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a bid to export the whales to China.

“Granting the request would have meant a perpetual life in confinement and a return to display for amusement,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that belugas should be in the ocean, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience authorize an relocation that would prolong the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

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

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities attempt to find a solution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of sustenance for local populations.

A proposed refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received government approval, has shown to be most controversial. The planned facility, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Proponents remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a sustainable answer for a number of the whales.

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

Others say the prospect of a refuge reflects a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible solution in the near future.

An official, head of the plan, said the facility will replicate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales get from trainers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|