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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming little “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a disagreement between a shuttered park, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned debate over their fate often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the people who work with them regularly.

After the federal government blocked the transfer of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near the famous falls where they are held warned to end their lives unless the authorities pays for the cost of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and communal behavior suggest they are remarkably smart creatures – something a former trainer observed directly.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a job that involved building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She developed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing personalities.

“One whale selected me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Both transformed the way I understand connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

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

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, died. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park ascribes to age-related causes, but which activists say indicates the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The park did not open to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the cessation. “Structural materials is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not respond to a request for comment, but in the past claimed: “The whales … obtain far higher quality veterinary services and constant attention than any person in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in recent months following the demise of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the park believed information of the incident were shared to the news outlets and she was let go soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left her and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any plans to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “considerable manpower”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

She supports demands for the whales to be removed right away from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

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

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a continued life in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that whales are meant for the sea, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an relocation that would continue the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks reflect a wider incorrect perception of the realities of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities work to find a answer, proposals have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received government approval, has been contentious. The prospective site, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Advocates remain optimistic that it could in time represent a long term answer for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the prospect of a refuge indicates a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable solution in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, head of the sanctuary project, said the site will replicate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|