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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable little “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a tussle between a closed attraction, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense controversy over their destiny often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the people who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are held threatened to put them down unless the federal government pays for the expense of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and group interactions suggest they are deeply intelligent animals – something one caretaker learned directly.

Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a role that involved building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so surprised by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She cultivated a particular love for a pair of whales with contrasting personalities.

“One whale chose me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Each changed the way I view relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

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

During her time at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the facility ascribes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say points to the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The facility did not operate to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand effects of the closure. “Structural materials is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and move about with pieces in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not respond to a request for comment, but in the past claimed: “The whales … receive far better medical attention and constant supervision than any individual in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in the spring following the demise of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park believed details of the death were disclosed to the media and she was released not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any efforts to put down even a single beluga would require “considerable manpower”, vehicles and machinery.

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

Burgess backs calls for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In late September, the nation’s government official denied a proposal to send the whales to China.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a continued life in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals belong in the wild, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience permit an relocation that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reveal a more general lack of awareness of the circumstances of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a resolution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A suggested refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has shown to be most controversial. The prospective facility, which includes a large area of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain optimistic that it could in time represent a sustainable solution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the idea of a sanctuary indicates a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible solution in the short term.

An official, director of the plan, said the location will simulate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|