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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an charming little “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a tussle between a closed attraction, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated debate over their future often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the people who work with them regularly.

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 federal government pays for the expense of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and communal behavior indicate they are deeply intelligent creatures – something a former trainer learned personally.

She spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that required earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so surprised by the details and unique traits in their characters. She cultivated a deep bond for a pair of whales with different temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Both altered the way I view bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s relationship with the whales progressed against a background of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her three years at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility ascribes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say reflects the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The park did not operate to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the shutdown. “Concrete is breaking off from the pools 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 park did not reply to a request for comment, but in the past claimed: “The whales … get far better health care and around the clock supervision than any person in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

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

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and current and former trainers in despair. She says the park’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any attempts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “immense staff”, equipment and specialized tools.

“It cannot happen in hell the staff would ever do it,” she said.

She supports requests for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official denied a bid to export the whales to China.

“To approve the request would have meant a ongoing life in enclosure and a return to display for amusement,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that belugas should be in the ocean, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing approve an transfer that would prolong the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks reflect a broader lack of awareness of the facts of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

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

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a resolution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A planned refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received government approval, has been most controversial. The future site, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain hopeful that it could in time represent a long term solution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the possibility of a refuge reflects a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a feasible plan in the near future.

Charles Vinick, director of the initiative, said the location will replicate the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales get from specialists, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|