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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming little “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a tussle between a shuttered park, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their future often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling attraction near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to end their lives unless the federal government funds the expense of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and group interactions indicate they are remarkably smart mammals – something Kristy Burgess discovered personally.

Burgess spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a job that entailed gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the details and quirks in their personalities. She cultivated a deep bond for two female belugas with different temperaments.

“Eve selected me. The other required effort,” she said. “Both altered the way I perceive relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales evolved against a context of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her time at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the facility links to expected lifespan, but which advocates say reflects the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The facility did not open to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not comment to a inquiry, but previously claimed: “The whales … obtain far higher quality medical attention and constant supervision than any human in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in recent months following the demise of a beluga, an unwell beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the park believed particulars of the incident were shared to the news outlets and she was fired soon after.

The ambiguity 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 “practically unfeasible” task, adding any plans to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “considerable personnel”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

She supports requests for the whales to be transferred promptly from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In recent months, the nation’s government official turned down a bid to send the whales to China.

“Granting the application would have meant a perpetual situation in enclosure and a return to display for amusement,” the minister stated. “As the public, we know that whales are meant for the wild, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an transfer that would continue the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments indicate a more general misunderstanding of the facts of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers struggle to find a resolution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A planned refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has proven contentious. The future location, which includes a large area of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain positive that it could in time represent a long term solution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the prospect of a sanctuary represents a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a workable approach in the near future.

An official, director of the sanctuary project, said the location will mimic the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|