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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming little “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a tussle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned debate over their fate often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near the famous falls where they are housed threatened to end their lives unless the authorities covers the cost of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that request, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and group interactions suggest they are highly cognitive mammals – something Kristy Burgess discovered personally.

She spent several years as a whale caretaker, a position that required gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so surprised by the subtleties and quirks in their characters. She formed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting temperaments.

“One whale selected me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Both altered the way I perceive bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales evolved against a background of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, 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 points to the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The facility did not admit visitors to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the closure. “Concrete is breaking off from the pools because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and move about with pieces in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a request for comment, but in the past asserted: “The whales … get far superior veterinary services and 24/7 attention than any individual in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in recent months following the demise of a beluga, an ailing beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the park believed particulars of the death were disclosed to the news outlets and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any efforts to put down even a one beluga would require “significant personnel”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

Burgess backs requests for the whales to be removed right away from the facility, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In recent months, Canada’s government official turned down a proposal to export the whales to China.

“To approve the application would have meant a ongoing existence in confinement and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister stated. “As society, we know that marine mammals belong in the wild, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience authorize an export that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks reveal a broader misunderstanding of the realities of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers struggle to find a answer, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a key source of nourishment for local populations.

A planned sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has proven highly debated. The prospective site, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Proponents remain hopeful that it could in time represent a sustainable answer for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the idea of a protected habitat indicates a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a workable plan in the near future.

An official, leader of the plan, said the location will mimic the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|