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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a struggle between a shuttered park, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense discussion over their fate often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the people who see them each day.

After the federal government blocked the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial facility near the famous falls where they are held stated it would consider to put them down unless the government pays for the cost of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that request, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and group interactions suggest they are remarkably smart creatures – something a former trainer observed personally.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a role that required building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so amazed by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She developed a particular love for a pair of whales with different temperaments.

“One whale selected me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “They transformed the way I perceive relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s relationship with the whales evolved against a background of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her three years at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility attributes to natural mortality, but which advocates say indicates the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand results 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 grab fragments and swim around with pieces in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not reply to a questionnaire, but previously asserted: “The whales … receive far superior medical attention and 24/7 care than any person in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in early March following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the park believed particulars of the death were disclosed to the press and she was fired soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left her and other caretakers in distress. She says the park’s warning to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any efforts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “considerable personnel”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

She supports requests for the whales to be transferred right away from the facility, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a proposal to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the application would have meant a perpetual life in confinement and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official stated. “As the public, we know that marine mammals should be in the ocean, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience approve an transfer that would prolong the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

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

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

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a solution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of food for Inuit communities.

A suggested refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received official endorsement, has shown to be most controversial. The prospective site, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Advocates remain hopeful that it could in time represent a long term answer for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the possibility of a protected habitat reflects a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a workable solution in the short term.

Charles Vinick, leader of the sanctuary project, said the site will simulate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|