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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming little “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a struggle between a closed attraction, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated discussion over their fate often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the national authorities disallowed the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial attraction near the famous falls where they are held warned to put them down unless the government covers the upkeep of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that demand, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and group interactions indicate they are remarkably smart creatures – something one caretaker learned directly.

She spent three years as a beluga trainer, a job that entailed gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those connections 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 shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so amazed by the subtleties and unique traits in their characters. She formed a deep bond for two female belugas with different personalities.

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

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s interaction with the whales evolved against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her three years at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the park links to natural mortality, but which campaigners say reflects the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not open to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the shutdown. “Concrete is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and swim around with fragments in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but previously stated: “The whales … receive far better health care and constant attention than any individual in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in early March following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park thought details of the incident were shared to the news outlets and she was released not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate 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 “extremely difficult” task, adding any attempts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “considerable personnel”, trucks and machinery.

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

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

In the autumn, the nation’s government official denied a proposal to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the request would have meant a perpetual existence in confinement and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister stated. “As society, we know that whales belong in the wild, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing authorize an relocation that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reveal a wider incorrect perception of the circumstances of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers work to find a solution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of food for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received official endorsement, has proven most controversial. The planned site, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Supporters remain positive that it could ultimately represent a long term resolution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the idea of a sanctuary indicates a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable solution in the short term.

Charles Vinick, head of the initiative, said the facility will replicate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|