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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves 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 Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a tussle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned debate over their destiny often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been carefully observed by the humans who see them each day.

After the national authorities disallowed the transfer of the belugas to China, the controversial attraction near the famous falls where they are held threatened to put them down unless the authorities pays for the expense of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, problem solving and group interactions suggest they are deeply intelligent creatures – something Kristy Burgess observed first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a position that entailed building relationships of the marine predators.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so surprised by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She cultivated a special affection for two female belugas with opposing natures.

“Eve selected me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Both altered the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales developed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her time at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, died. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility attributes to age-related causes, but which advocates say indicates the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly consequences of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and move about with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not respond to a inquiry, but previously claimed: “The whales … get far better health care and around the clock care than any person in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in recent months following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the park thought particulars of the incident were leaked to the media and she was fired soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any efforts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “immense staff”, vehicles and machinery.

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

She advocates for calls for the whales to be transferred right away from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a request to transfer the whales to China.

“Granting the request would have meant a ongoing life in confinement and a return to display for amusement,” the official commented. “As society, we know that marine mammals are meant for the ocean, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in good conscience permit an export that would prolong the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks reflect a more general lack of awareness of the circumstances of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a answer, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a key source of sustenance for local populations.

A suggested refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received official endorsement, has been contentious. The future site, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Advocates remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a permanent solution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the possibility of a refuge indicates a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable solution in the near future.

An official, head of the initiative, said the location will mimic the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|