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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a struggle between a defunct facility, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated controversy over their future often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near the famous falls where they are housed threatened to end their lives unless the federal government pays for the upkeep of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and group interactions suggest they are deeply intelligent animals – something a former trainer learned directly.

Burgess spent several years as a whale caretaker, a job that entailed gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

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

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She cultivated a particular love for two female belugas with different natures.

“Eve chose me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Each changed the way I view relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales developed against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her time at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, died. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the park attributes to natural mortality, but which advocates say reflects the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The park did not admit visitors to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the cessation. “Structural materials is falling apart from the pools because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and move about with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not comment to a inquiry, but in the past claimed: “The whales … get far superior health care and 24/7 supervision than any person in the UK, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in the spring following the passing of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility believed details of the death were leaked to the media and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the facility’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any efforts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “significant personnel”, equipment and specialized tools.

“There’s no way in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

She supports requests for the whales to be removed promptly from the park, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a bid to export the whales to China.

“Granting the application would have meant a ongoing existence in confinement and a return to public entertainment,” the minister wrote. “As society, we know that marine mammals should be in the sea, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience approve an relocation that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments indicate a wider misunderstanding of the facts of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a solution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A planned refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which now received government approval, has shown to be most controversial. The prospective location, which includes a large area of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain positive that it could eventually represent a sustainable answer for eight 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’ future.

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

The project lead, director of the initiative, said the site will mimic the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|