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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable small “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a tussle between a closed attraction, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the heated discussion over their destiny often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the people who interact with them daily.

After the federal government disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near the famous falls where they are held warned to put them down unless the federal government pays for the upkeep of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that request, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, problem solving and communal behavior indicate they are remarkably smart mammals – something Kristy Burgess discovered first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a role that entailed building relationships of the aquatic animals.

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

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the subtleties and unique traits in their personalities. She cultivated a special affection for a pair of whales with contrasting temperaments.

“Eve selected me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Both transformed the way I view bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s connection with the whales progressed against a background of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, died. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park links to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say indicates the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The facility did not open to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the shutdown. “Structural materials is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and navigate with fragments in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not respond to a inquiry, but previously stated: “The whales … obtain far better health care and constant care than any person in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in recent months following the death of a beluga, an unwell beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the park thought particulars of the incident were leaked to the press and she was let go not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left her and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “considerable staff”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

She advocates for requests for the whales to be removed promptly from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a request to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a ongoing existence in confinement and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As society, we know that marine mammals belong in the wild, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience permit an export that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reveal a wider misunderstanding of the circumstances of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers struggle to find a resolution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for local populations.

A proposed protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received regulatory clearance, has shown to be highly debated. The planned location, which includes extensive space of protected cove, is not yet built. Advocates remain positive that it could in time represent a long term solution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the idea of a sanctuary reflects a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable solution in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, director of the plan, said the location will replicate the cognitive activities and diet the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|