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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable small “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a struggle between a closed attraction, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated controversy over their destiny often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the federal government blocked the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near the famous falls where they are kept warned to put them down unless the federal government funds the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and social skills point to they are highly cognitive animals – something Kristy Burgess discovered first-hand.

She spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a role that involved gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so astounded by the details and unique traits in their dispositions. She developed a deep bond for two female belugas with opposing natures.

“Eve chose me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “They changed the way I understand relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales developed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her tenure at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, died. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park attributes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say points to the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The facility did not open to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the cessation. “Structural materials is breaking off from the pools because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not respond to a request for comment, but previously asserted: “The whales … obtain far higher quality veterinary services and constant care than any human in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the park in early March following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park suspected details of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was let go soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in anguish. She says the facility’s warning to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any efforts to put down even a individual beluga would require “considerable personnel”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

Burgess supports requests for the whales to be taken promptly from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

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

“To approve the proposal would have meant a perpetual situation in confinement and a return to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As Canadians, we know that belugas are meant for the wild, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience approve an export that would continue the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s statements reveal a more general lack of awareness of the facts of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a solution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has shown to be contentious. The prospective site, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain hopeful that it could in time represent a permanent answer for some 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.

Different voices say the prospect of a protected habitat indicates a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible plan in the near future.

An official, leader of the plan, said the site will mimic the mental engagement and nutrition the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|