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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming small “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a disagreement between a shuttered park, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense debate over their future often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government prevented the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near the famous falls where they are housed stated it would consider to put them down unless the government pays for the expense of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and social skills suggest they are highly cognitive mammals – something one caretaker observed first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a job that entailed building relationships of the marine predators.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so amazed by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She developed a special affection for a pair of whales with opposing natures.

“One whale accepted me. The other required effort,” she said. “They altered the way I understand bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales progressed against a context of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her time at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, died. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility ascribes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say points to the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The facility did not open to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the cessation. “Concrete is breaking off from the pools because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and navigate with pieces in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not comment to a inquiry, but in the past stated: “The whales … receive far higher quality health care and around the clock attention than any individual in the Britain, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the park in early March following the demise of a beluga, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the park believed details of the incident were leaked to the news outlets and she was fired soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and current and former trainers in despair. She says the park’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any plans to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “significant manpower”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

She backs demands for the whales to be taken immediately from the facility, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In late September, the nation’s government official denied a bid to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the application would have meant a ongoing situation in enclosure and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister stated. “As the public, we know that belugas should be in the wild, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience authorize an relocation that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks indicate a more general misunderstanding of the circumstances of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public 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. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a resolution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of sustenance for local populations.

A planned sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which now received official endorsement, has shown to be contentious. The planned site, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Advocates remain positive that it could in time represent a permanent answer for eight of the whales.

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

Different voices say the prospect of a sanctuary represents a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable plan in the short term.

An official, head of the sanctuary project, said the facility will mimic the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales get from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|