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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a disagreement between a shuttered park, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned controversy over their destiny often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been carefully observed by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government prevented the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are housed stated it would consider to end their lives unless the federal government covers the upkeep of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and group interactions suggest they are highly cognitive mammals – something a former trainer observed directly.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a position that involved gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so amazed by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She developed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting personalities.

“Eve chose me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Both changed the way I view relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s connection with the whales evolved against a background of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which activists say reflects the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The facility did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the shutdown. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and move about with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not respond to a request for comment, but earlier stated: “The whales … receive far higher quality veterinary services and around the clock supervision than any person in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in recent months following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the park suspected details of the death were disclosed to the media and she was released shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left her and staff members in despair. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any plans to put down even a one beluga would require “significant manpower”, trucks and machinery.

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

She backs requests for the whales to be taken right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a proposal to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the application would have meant a perpetual existence in confinement and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As society, we know that marine mammals should be in the wild, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience approve an export that would prolong the situation these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements reflect a more general misunderstanding of the circumstances of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

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

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As authorities attempt to find a answer, ideas have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for local populations.

A planned refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has proven highly debated. The future facility, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain optimistic that it could in time represent a permanent resolution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the prospect of a refuge represents a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable approach in the near future.

An official, director of the sanctuary project, said the facility will mimic the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|