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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a disagreement between a defunct facility, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned debate over their fate often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the federal government blocked the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near the famous falls where they are housed warned to put them down unless the authorities funds the upkeep of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and social skills indicate they are deeply intelligent animals – something Kristy Burgess discovered first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a position that involved building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. 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 astounded by the subtleties and quirks in their dispositions. She cultivated a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing temperaments.

“One whale selected me. The other required effort,” she said. “Each altered the way I view connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales evolved against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her time at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility attributes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say reflects the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The facility did not open to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the shutdown. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and swim around with pieces in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not respond to a questionnaire, but previously asserted: “The whales … obtain far superior medical attention and around the clock care than any individual in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the park in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an sick beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the facility believed details of the incident were leaked to the news outlets and she was let go not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “considerable manpower”, equipment and machinery.

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

She supports demands for the whales to be taken right away from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In recent months, the nation’s government official rejected a bid to export the whales to China.

“To approve the request would have meant a perpetual situation in confinement and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official stated. “As society, we know that whales belong in the ocean, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing permit an relocation that would prolong the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks reflect a more general misunderstanding of the realities of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a answer, ideas have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of food for local populations.

A planned protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has shown to be highly debated. The prospective site, which includes a large area of protected cove, is not yet built. Supporters remain positive that it could in time represent a long term resolution for some of the whales.

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

Different voices say the idea of a protected habitat represents a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a workable approach in the coming months.

The project lead, director of the initiative, said the location will replicate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|