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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a struggle between a shuttered park, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated controversy over their future often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been closely studied by the humans who see them each day.

After the federal government prevented the export of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near the famous falls where they are held threatened to end their lives unless the authorities covers the cost of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and social skills point to they are remarkably smart animals – something Kristy Burgess learned directly.

She spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that entailed earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Developing 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 mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so astounded by the details and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She formed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. The other demanded work,” she said. “They altered the way I perceive relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s interaction with the whales developed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility ascribes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say indicates the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The facility did not admit visitors to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the shutdown. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the pools because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and navigate with pieces in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not respond to a questionnaire, but earlier claimed: “The whales … get far higher quality medical attention and constant attention than any human in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in early March following the passing of a beluga, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park thought particulars of the death were leaked to the media and she was fired soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left her and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any efforts to put down even a single beluga would require “immense staff”, trucks and specialized tools.

“There’s no way in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess supports demands for the whales to be taken immediately from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official rejected a request to send the whales to China.

“Granting the application would have meant a ongoing existence in confinement and a return to public entertainment,” the official stated. “As the public, we know that marine mammals should be in the sea, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience approve an export that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks indicate a broader misunderstanding of the facts of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers work to find a resolution, proposals have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for local populations.

A planned refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has proven most controversial. The future site, which includes extensive space of protected cove, is not yet built. Proponents remain optimistic that it could in time represent a long term resolution for some of the whales.

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

Different voices say the prospect of a refuge indicates a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable approach in the near future.

Charles Vinick, head of the initiative, said the facility will simulate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|