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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a tussle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense debate over their fate often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the humans who see them each day.

After the federal government blocked the transfer of the belugas to China, the controversial attraction near the famous falls where they are held stated it would consider to end their lives unless the authorities pays for the upkeep of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and social skills suggest they are deeply intelligent animals – something one caretaker observed directly.

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

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the subtleties and quirks in their personalities. She formed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with different temperaments.

“Eve chose me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Each altered the way I view bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s interaction with the whales progressed against a context of rising activist criticism 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 statistic which the park ascribes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say indicates the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The park did not open to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand effects of the cessation. “Structural materials is breaking off from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and move about with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but earlier stated: “The whales … receive far better medical attention and constant supervision than any human in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in recent months following the death of Eos, an sick beluga the employees had to put down. She said the facility suspected particulars of the death were leaked to the press and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and current and former trainers in despair. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any efforts to put down even a individual beluga would require “considerable personnel”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

Burgess backs requests for the whales to be taken right away from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a proposal to transfer the whales to China.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a ongoing life in confinement and a return to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that belugas are meant for the wild, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing permit an transfer that would continue the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reflect a wider misunderstanding of the facts of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As authorities work to find a resolution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A suggested protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has proven most controversial. The prospective facility, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Advocates remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a sustainable solution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the idea of a sanctuary represents a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible approach in the coming months.

An official, leader of the plan, said the site will replicate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|