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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a tussle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned debate over their destiny often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the people who work with them regularly.

After the federal government blocked the export of the belugas to China, the embattled attraction near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the government funds the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and group interactions suggest they are highly cognitive mammals – something a former trainer discovered directly.

She spent three years as a beluga trainer, a role that entailed gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the nuances and quirks in their characters. She developed a special affection for two female belugas with opposing personalities.

“Eve chose me. The other required effort,” she said. “They changed the way I understand bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales evolved against a context of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her time at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the facility links to age-related causes, but which campaigners say points to the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The facility did not operate to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly effects of the cessation. “Structural materials is falling apart from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and swim around with chunks in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not respond to a inquiry, but earlier claimed: “The whales … receive far higher quality veterinary services and 24/7 supervision than any person in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in the spring following the passing of Eos, an sick beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the park suspected information of the death were leaked to the news outlets and she was fired soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left her and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s threat to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any plans to euthanize even a one beluga would require “significant manpower”, equipment and specialized tools.

“It’s impossible in hell the caretakers would ever do it,” she said.

She advocates for demands for the whales to be taken immediately from the facility, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a request to transfer the whales to China.

“Granting the application would have meant a continued existence in enclosure and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that marine mammals belong in the wild, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience permit an relocation that would continue the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reveal a more general misunderstanding of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers struggle to find a resolution, proposals have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of nourishment for local populations.

A proposed sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has shown to be most controversial. The prospective facility, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain positive that it could eventually represent a long term solution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the prospect of a refuge reflects a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a feasible approach in the coming months.

An official, head of the initiative, said the facility will simulate the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales get from specialists, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|