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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute small “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a tussle between a closed attraction, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated discussion over their fate often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who see them each day.

After the national authorities blocked the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled facility near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to put them down unless the government covers the cost of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and group interactions point to they are deeply intelligent mammals – something Kristy Burgess discovered personally.

She spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that required gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the details and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She cultivated a particular love for a pair of whales with different personalities.

“One whale chose me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Both transformed the way I understand relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales developed against a context of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her time at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the park links to natural mortality, but which advocates say reflects the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The facility did not open to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly effects of the closure. “Structural materials is breaking off from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and move about with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not reply to a request for comment, but earlier asserted: “The whales … get far higher quality health care and 24/7 supervision than any human in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in the spring following the demise of Eos, an ailing beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the park thought details of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was fired soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any attempts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “significant staff”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

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

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

“To approve the proposal would have meant a ongoing existence in confinement and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister wrote. “As society, we know that marine mammals are meant for the wild, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience authorize an transfer that would prolong the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks reflect a broader misunderstanding of the circumstances of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers attempt to find a resolution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of food for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received government approval, has been highly debated. The future site, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a permanent answer for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the prospect of a sanctuary indicates a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a workable plan in the coming months.

The project lead, leader of the plan, said the site will replicate the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|