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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute little “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a struggle between a closed attraction, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned controversy over their future often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the humans who see them each day.

After the federal government 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 government covers the cost of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that request, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and communal behavior suggest they are highly cognitive creatures – something a former trainer discovered first-hand.

She spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that entailed building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so surprised by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She developed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting temperaments.

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

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 killer whale, the orca, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the park links to age-related causes, but which activists say indicates the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The facility did not admit visitors to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and navigate with pieces in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not comment to a inquiry, but earlier stated: “The whales … get far superior medical attention and constant attention than any person in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in early March following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the facility believed details of the incident were shared to the press and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the facility’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “immense manpower”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

She supports calls for the whales to be taken promptly from the park, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

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

“Granting the request would have meant a ongoing life in enclosure and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals should be in the wild, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an export that would continue the situation these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks indicate a broader incorrect perception of the circumstances of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers attempt to find a answer, ideas have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of food for local populations.

A proposed refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which now received official endorsement, has been highly debated. The prospective site, which includes a large area of protected cove, is not yet built. Advocates remain positive that it could in time represent a permanent solution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the possibility of a refuge indicates a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a workable plan in the near future.

An official, head of the sanctuary project, said the location will replicate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|