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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute small “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a tussle between a shuttered park, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense debate over their fate often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities blocked the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling attraction near the famous falls where they are housed stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the federal government funds the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that request, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and social skills suggest they are deeply intelligent animals – something a former trainer discovered personally.

Burgess spent three years as a whale caretaker, a role that entailed gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the details and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She cultivated a deep bond for two female belugas with different natures.

“Eve selected me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Each transformed the way I understand bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

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

During her three years at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the facility links to natural mortality, but which campaigners say reflects the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not admit visitors to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is breaking off from the pools because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not reply to a questionnaire, but previously claimed: “The whales … obtain far better health care and 24/7 attention than any human in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in early March following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the facility suspected particulars of the death were shared to the news outlets and she was fired not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in distress. She says the facility’s threat to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any efforts to put down even a individual beluga would require “significant staff”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess advocates for demands for the whales to be transferred right away from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a bid to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a ongoing existence in enclosure and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official stated. “As the public, we know that marine mammals belong in the ocean, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing authorize an transfer that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements reveal a broader lack of awareness of the realities of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities work to find a resolution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A proposed refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has been most controversial. The prospective location, which includes a large area of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a sustainable solution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the possibility of a protected habitat indicates a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible plan in the near future.

The project lead, leader of the sanctuary project, said the location will mimic the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|