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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a disagreement between a defunct facility, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned debate over their fate often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the federal government blocked the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling attraction near the famous falls where they are housed stated it would consider to end their lives unless the authorities covers the cost of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and group interactions indicate they are deeply intelligent animals – something a former trainer observed directly.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a role that required earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She developed a particular love for two female belugas with different temperaments.

“Eve selected me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They altered the way I view connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales evolved against a background of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the park attributes to natural mortality, but which advocates say indicates the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The park did not open to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the closure. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and swim around with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not respond to a request for comment, but previously claimed: “The whales … get far superior medical attention and around the clock supervision than any individual in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the park in early March following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the park believed particulars of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the park’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any efforts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “immense manpower”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

She supports calls for the whales to be removed immediately from the facility, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a request to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the request would have meant a perpetual life in confinement and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that whales should be in the ocean, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing approve an relocation that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements indicate a wider misunderstanding of the realities of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials struggle to find a answer, proposals have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A planned protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has shown to be highly debated. The future site, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain positive that it could eventually represent a permanent answer for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” 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 viable plan in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, head of the plan, said the facility will mimic the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|