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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – 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 Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a tussle between a defunct facility, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense debate over their future often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the people who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial facility near the famous falls where they are held threatened to end their lives unless the authorities covers the cost of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that demand, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and social skills indicate they are deeply intelligent creatures – something Kristy Burgess learned personally.

She spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that entailed building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the details and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She developed a particular love for two female belugas with contrasting temperaments.

“One whale selected me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They changed the way I understand connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales developed against a context of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, died. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility links to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say points to the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not operate to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the shutdown. “Concrete is falling apart from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but previously stated: “The whales … obtain far higher quality medical attention and 24/7 attention than any individual in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in early March following the death of Eos, an sick beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the facility suspected details of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was let go not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the park’s threat to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any attempts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “immense staff”, trucks and machinery.

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

She backs requests for the whales to be transferred right away from the park, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official denied a request to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the application would have meant a ongoing situation in confinement and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister commented. “As Canadians, we know that belugas belong in the wild, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience approve an transfer that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reveal a wider lack of awareness of the realities of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers work to find a solution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a important part of food for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received government approval, has been contentious. The prospective site, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain positive that it could in time represent a sustainable solution for a number of the whales.

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

Different voices say the prospect of a refuge reflects a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a viable solution in the short term.

Charles Vinick, head of the sanctuary project, said the facility will mimic the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|