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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming little “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a disagreement between a defunct facility, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense discussion over their destiny often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government disallowed the sale of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to euthanize them unless the authorities covers the upkeep of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and communal behavior indicate they are deeply intelligent mammals – something one caretaker learned first-hand.

She spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a job that required gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of consistency 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 vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the details and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She cultivated a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting temperaments.

“Eve chose me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “They changed the way I understand connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales progressed against a context of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her tenure at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility attributes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say points to the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not operate to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the shutdown. “Concrete is falling apart from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and swim around with chunks in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but previously stated: “The whales … get far higher quality medical attention and around the clock attention than any individual in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in early March following the demise of a beluga, an sick beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park believed particulars of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was let go soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left her and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any plans to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “significant manpower”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

She supports calls for the whales to be taken promptly from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In late September, Canada’s government official turned down a request to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a perpetual existence in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals are meant for the sea, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience permit an export that would prolong the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks reflect a broader misunderstanding of the facts of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a answer, suggestions have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a important part of nourishment for local populations.

A suggested protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has been most controversial. The prospective site, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Supporters remain positive that it could in time represent a long term answer for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the prospect of a protected habitat indicates a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a viable solution in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, leader of the initiative, said the location will replicate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|