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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable little “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a struggle between a defunct facility, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense debate over their destiny often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government blocked the export of the belugas to China, the controversial amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are held stated it would consider to put them down unless the government pays for the upkeep of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and group interactions indicate they are highly cognitive animals – something Kristy Burgess discovered personally.

Burgess spent three years as a beluga trainer, a role that entailed earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so amazed by the subtleties and unique traits in their dispositions. She cultivated a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Both transformed the way I perceive connection.”

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 park, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the park ascribes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say indicates the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The park did not admit visitors to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the closure. “Structural materials is breaking off from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and navigate with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but previously stated: “The whales … receive far higher quality veterinary services and around the clock care than any individual in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in the spring following the death of Eos, an sick beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the park suspected particulars of the incident were shared to the media and she was fired not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left her and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any plans to euthanize even a single beluga would require “considerable staff”, equipment and machinery.

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

She backs calls for the whales to be transferred immediately from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official turned down a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a ongoing situation in confinement and a return to display for amusement,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that belugas should be in the ocean, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience approve an transfer that would continue the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements indicate a more general incorrect perception of the realities of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities attempt to find a answer, ideas have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of food for local populations.

A proposed refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received official endorsement, has been contentious. The planned site, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Proponents remain positive that it could in time represent a sustainable solution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the possibility of a sanctuary represents a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable solution in the short term.

An official, director of the initiative, said the facility will simulate the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|