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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable little “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a struggle between a defunct facility, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense controversy over their destiny often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government prevented the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept warned to put them down unless the authorities pays for the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and social skills indicate they are highly cognitive creatures – something a former trainer discovered directly.

She spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that involved gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the details and unique traits in their characters. She formed a special affection for two female belugas with contrasting natures.

“One whale accepted me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Each changed the way I perceive relationships.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales evolved against a background of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her time at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since 2019, a number which the park links to natural mortality, but which campaigners say reflects the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The facility did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the shutdown. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and move about with pieces in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not comment to a inquiry, but earlier claimed: “The whales … get far superior veterinary services and around the clock attention than any person in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in early March following the passing of a beluga, an sick beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected particulars of the death were shared to the press and she was released soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and other caretakers in distress. She says the park’s warning to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any plans to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “significant staff”, equipment and specialized tools.

“It cannot happen in hell the staff would ever do it,” she said.

She advocates for calls for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

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

“To approve the proposal would have meant a ongoing existence in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister commented. “As society, we know that belugas belong in the ocean, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in good conscience authorize an export that would continue the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reflect a broader incorrect perception of the circumstances of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials attempt to find a answer, ideas have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a key source of nourishment for local populations.

A planned protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which now received government approval, has shown to be highly debated. The planned facility, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain positive that it could eventually represent a long term solution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ future.

Others say the idea of a sanctuary represents a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible plan in the short term.

An official, head of the initiative, said the facility will simulate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|