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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute little “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a struggle between a defunct facility, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated debate over their future often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government blocked the export of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near the famous falls where they are housed threatened to put them down unless the government funds the expense of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and communal behavior indicate they are remarkably smart animals – something Kristy Burgess learned personally.

Burgess spent three years as a beluga trainer, a position that required earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so astounded by the details and quirks in their characters. She developed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with different personalities.

“Eve selected me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Each changed the way I understand bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s relationship with the whales progressed against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, died. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility attributes to age-related causes, but which activists say indicates the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not operate to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes effects of the cessation. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. 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 comment to a inquiry, but previously stated: “The whales … obtain far higher quality medical attention and around the clock care than any person in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in the spring following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the facility thought information of the incident were leaked to the news outlets and she was released shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and other caretakers in anguish. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any attempts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “considerable personnel”, trucks and machinery.

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

She backs requests for the whales to be removed right away from the park, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a proposal to send the whales to China.

“Granting the application would have meant a perpetual situation in confinement and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that whales are meant for the sea, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience permit an relocation that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements reflect a broader incorrect perception of the facts of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities attempt to find a solution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of food for Inuit communities.

A proposed refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received government approval, has shown to be most controversial. The planned location, which includes extensive space of protected cove, is not yet built. Advocates remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a sustainable solution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the idea of a protected habitat represents a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a workable approach in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, leader of the plan, said the location will replicate the cognitive activities and diet the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|