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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an charming small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a tussle between a closed attraction, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the intense debate over their destiny often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the people who work with them regularly.

After the federal government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled attraction near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to end their lives unless the government funds the expense of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and communal behavior indicate they are remarkably smart creatures – something one caretaker learned personally.

She spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that entailed building relationships of the marine predators.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so surprised by the details and quirks in their characters. She formed a special affection for a pair of whales with different personalities.

“One whale accepted me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Each changed the way I perceive bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales progressed against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her three years at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a toll which the facility attributes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say points to the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The park did not admit visitors to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the cessation. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and swim around with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but earlier stated: “The whales … receive far better veterinary services and constant care than any individual in the Britain, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in recent months following the passing of Eos, an sick beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the facility thought details of the death were shared to the media and she was fired soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the park’s warning to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “considerable manpower”, vehicles and machinery.

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

Burgess advocates for calls for the whales to be taken promptly from the park, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In late September, Canada’s government official rejected a request to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the application would have meant a ongoing life in enclosure and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official wrote. “As the public, we know that whales should be in the wild, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing permit an relocation that would prolong the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks indicate a wider misunderstanding of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a resolution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A proposed protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has proven highly debated. The prospective facility, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain hopeful that it could in time represent a permanent solution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the possibility of a refuge indicates a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a viable approach in the short term.

Charles Vinick, leader of the sanctuary project, said the location will mimic the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|