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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable little “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

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

But those working directly with the whales say the heated discussion over their destiny often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the people who interact with them daily.

After the federal government disallowed the sale of the belugas to China, the embattled attraction near the famous falls where they are kept warned to put them down unless the federal government covers the expense of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and social skills point to they are highly cognitive animals – something Kristy Burgess learned first-hand.

She spent three years as a beluga trainer, a position that required building relationships of the marine predators.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so astounded by the details and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She cultivated a special affection for two female belugas with contrasting temperaments.

“Eve chose me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Both changed the way I perceive bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s relationship with the whales evolved against a context of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the facility links to natural mortality, but which advocates say indicates the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The facility did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the cessation. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not reply to a inquiry, but in the past stated: “The whales … get far higher quality health care and around the clock supervision than any individual in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in the spring following the demise of a beluga, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility believed details of the incident were leaked to the media and she was let go soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the facility’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “significant manpower”, trucks and machinery.

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

Burgess supports demands for the whales to be removed immediately from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In recent months, the nation’s government official denied a proposal to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the request would have meant a continued situation in enclosure and a return to display for amusement,” the official commented. “As society, we know that marine mammals are meant for the ocean, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing permit an transfer that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements indicate a broader misunderstanding of the realities of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials struggle to find a answer, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of food for Indigenous peoples.

A planned protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which now received government approval, has been highly debated. The future facility, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a permanent resolution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the prospect of a protected habitat represents a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a feasible plan in the short term.

Charles Vinick, director of the sanctuary project, said the site will mimic the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|