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

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a struggle between a shuttered park, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their destiny often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the people who see them each day.

After the Canadian government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to China, the controversial facility near the famous falls where they are housed stated it would consider to end their lives unless the federal government funds the cost of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and social skills indicate they are highly cognitive mammals – something a former trainer observed first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a job that entailed building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the outset, 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 extraordinary and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so amazed by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She cultivated a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing personalities.

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

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales progressed against a context of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her tenure at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the park ascribes to age-related causes, but which activists say points to the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not admit visitors to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes results of the shutdown. “Structural materials is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and swim around with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but in the past asserted: “The whales … get far better veterinary services and around the clock attention than any individual in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in early March following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility suspected information of the incident were shared to the media and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and current and former trainers in despair. She says the park’s threat to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “significant personnel”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

Burgess backs demands for the whales to be removed promptly from the park, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a bid to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a perpetual existence in captivity and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As the public, we know that marine mammals 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 minister’s statements reveal a broader lack of awareness of the realities of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As authorities work to find a answer, ideas have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a important part of food for local populations.

A proposed refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received government approval, has shown to be highly debated. The prospective site, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Advocates remain positive that it could ultimately represent a permanent solution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ future.

Others say the idea of a sanctuary indicates a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible approach in the coming months.

The project lead, head of the initiative, said the location will simulate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales get from trainers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|