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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute small “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a struggle between a closed attraction, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the intense discussion over their future often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the Canadian government prevented the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling attraction near the famous falls where they are held warned to euthanize them unless the authorities covers the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and social skills suggest they are highly cognitive creatures – something Kristy Burgess observed first-hand.

She spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that required building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so amazed by the details and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She cultivated a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Both changed the way I understand connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales evolved against a context of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the park ascribes to natural mortality, but which activists say indicates the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The facility did not admit visitors to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand effects of the shutdown. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and move about with fragments in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but in the past asserted: “The whales … receive far higher quality medical attention and 24/7 supervision than any human in the Britain, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in recent months following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility thought information of the incident were shared to the media and she was fired not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the park’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any plans to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “considerable staff”, equipment and machinery.

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

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

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a bid to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a perpetual existence in captivity and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official commented. “As society, we know that whales are meant for the wild, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience permit an export that would continue the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements reflect a wider lack of awareness of the realities of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials work to find a answer, proposals have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which now received regulatory clearance, has proven contentious. The planned location, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a long term solution for some of the whales.

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

Others say the prospect of a refuge indicates a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable plan in the coming months.

The project lead, head of the plan, said the facility will simulate the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|