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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute little “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a tussle between a closed attraction, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated discussion over their destiny often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the people who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial attraction near the famous falls where they are held threatened to euthanize them unless the authorities pays for the upkeep of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that demand, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and social skills suggest they are deeply intelligent animals – something one caretaker observed directly.

She spent several years as a whale caretaker, a position that entailed building relationships of the marine predators.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so surprised by the subtleties and unique traits in their characters. She cultivated a deep bond for two female belugas with contrasting temperaments.

“Eve selected me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “They transformed the way I view relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

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, the orca, died. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility attributes to age-related causes, but which advocates say reflects the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The park did not operate to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly effects of the cessation. “Structural materials is breaking off from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not comment to a questionnaire, but earlier claimed: “The whales … receive far higher quality health care and constant care than any person in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in the spring following the death of a beluga, an sick beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the park thought details of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left her and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any efforts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “significant personnel”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess backs requests for the whales to be taken right away from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In late September, the nation’s government official rejected a bid to transfer the whales to China.

“Allowing the request would have meant a continued situation in confinement and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister wrote. “As society, we know that belugas belong in the wild, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience approve an export that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements reveal a broader incorrect perception of the realities of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a solution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of food for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has shown to be most controversial. The prospective site, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Proponents remain hopeful that it could in time represent a permanent answer for eight of the whales.

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

Others say the possibility of a refuge represents a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible plan in the near future.

An official, leader of the initiative, said the location will simulate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|