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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a tussle between a shuttered park, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated debate over their fate often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the people who see them each day.

After the national authorities disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are held warned to euthanize them unless the government covers the cost of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and group interactions indicate they are highly cognitive animals – something a former trainer learned personally.

Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a role that involved earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the subtleties and unique traits in their personalities. She cultivated a special affection for a pair of whales with different personalities.

“Eve chose me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Both changed the way I understand relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales evolved against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her time at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the park ascribes to natural mortality, but which activists say indicates the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The facility did not open to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand results of the shutdown. “Structural materials is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and swim around with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but previously claimed: “The whales … obtain far higher quality medical attention and 24/7 attention than any human in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in the spring following the passing of Eos, an sick beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the park suspected particulars of the death were leaked to the news outlets and she was fired not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left her and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any plans to put down even a one beluga would require “immense manpower”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

Burgess backs calls for the whales to be taken right away from the park, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official denied a proposal to send the whales to China.

“Allowing the request would have meant a ongoing life in enclosure and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that whales should be in the sea, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in good conscience permit an transfer that would continue the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks reveal a more general incorrect perception of the realities of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials struggle to find a resolution, proposals 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 the Arctic – where whales are a important part of food for Indigenous peoples.

A planned refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received government approval, has been most controversial. The planned site, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Supporters remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a sustainable solution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the prospect of a sanctuary reflects a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a workable plan in the near future.

Charles Vinick, leader of the plan, said the location will simulate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|