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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a struggle between a shuttered park, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the heated controversy over their fate often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the federal government prevented the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to end their lives unless the federal government funds the cost of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and communal behavior point to they are deeply intelligent mammals – something Kristy Burgess discovered first-hand.

Burgess spent three years as a beluga trainer, a job that required gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She formed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with different temperaments.

“One whale chose me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Both changed the way I understand relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

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

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park links to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say points to the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The facility did not admit visitors to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly effects of the cessation. “Concrete is falling apart from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and swim around with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not comment to a questionnaire, but earlier stated: “The whales … obtain far higher quality health care and constant care than any person in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in the spring following the demise of a beluga, an sick beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the park believed details of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was fired soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and other caretakers in distress. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any plans to put down even a individual beluga would require “immense manpower”, trucks and machinery.

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

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

In recent months, Canada’s government official turned down a request to send the whales to China.

“Allowing the request would have meant a ongoing situation in captivity and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that whales should be in the wild, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an relocation that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements indicate a more general lack of awareness of the realities of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials work to find a answer, proposals have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A planned sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received official endorsement, has proven contentious. The prospective facility, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain positive that it could ultimately represent a permanent resolution for some of the whales.

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

Different voices say the idea of a protected habitat reflects a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible plan in the short term.

The project lead, director of the initiative, said the location will simulate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|