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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a disagreement between a shuttered park, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the intense controversy over their fate often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been carefully observed by the people who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities disallowed the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling facility near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to end their lives unless the federal government funds the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and communal behavior suggest they are highly cognitive creatures – something Kristy Burgess learned first-hand.

She spent three years as a whale caretaker, a role that involved earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the start, 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 extraordinary and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so amazed by the details and quirks in their characters. She formed a deep bond for a pair of whales with different temperaments.

“One whale selected me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Each transformed the way I understand connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales evolved against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the park ascribes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say indicates the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not operate to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the closure. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and move about with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not respond to a request for comment, but earlier asserted: “The whales … obtain far superior veterinary services and 24/7 attention than any individual in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in the spring following the demise of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the facility suspected information of the death were leaked to the media and she was released not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the facility’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any attempts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “immense staff”, trucks and machinery.

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

Burgess advocates for calls for the whales to be transferred immediately from the facility, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official rejected a proposal to send the whales to China.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a perpetual existence in confinement and a return to public entertainment,” the minister stated. “As the public, we know that belugas should be in the sea, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience approve an export that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments reflect a broader lack of awareness of the facts of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a solution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of food for Inuit communities.

A planned sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has shown to be contentious. The prospective site, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain positive that it could ultimately represent a long term answer for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the possibility of a sanctuary reflects a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a viable plan in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, leader of the sanctuary project, said the facility will simulate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|