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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a tussle between a defunct facility, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense discussion over their destiny often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the Canadian government prevented the export of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near the famous falls where they are held stated it would consider to put them down unless the government funds the upkeep of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and group interactions suggest they are highly cognitive mammals – something Kristy Burgess observed first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a position that entailed earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the details and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She developed a special affection for two female belugas with opposing personalities.

“Eve accepted me. The other required effort,” she said. “Both transformed the way I view relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s relationship with the whales developed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her three years at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, died. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the facility attributes to expected lifespan, but which activists say reflects the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The facility did not open to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not comment to a inquiry, but earlier asserted: “The whales … get far better veterinary services and around the clock supervision than any human in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the park in the spring following the passing of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the park suspected details of the death were leaked to the press and she was let go soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and staff members in despair. She says the park’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “significant personnel”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

She advocates for requests for the whales to be taken promptly from the park, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a request to export the whales to China.

“Allowing the application would have meant a perpetual existence in captivity and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister wrote. “As society, we know that belugas belong in the ocean, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing approve an transfer that would prolong the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reflect a broader lack of awareness of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities struggle to find a answer, proposals have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A planned sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has been most controversial. The planned facility, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Supporters remain positive that it could eventually represent a sustainable solution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the idea of a sanctuary represents a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a viable solution in the short term.

The project lead, head of the initiative, said the location will replicate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|