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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute small “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a disagreement between a closed attraction, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the intense controversy over their future often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the Canadian government blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near the famous falls where they are held threatened to put them down unless the authorities pays for the cost of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that demand, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and communal behavior suggest they are highly cognitive mammals – something Kristy Burgess discovered personally.

Burgess spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that entailed building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so astounded by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She formed a deep bond for two female belugas with different personalities.

“Eve selected me. The other required effort,” she said. “Both transformed the way I view relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s connection with the whales progressed against a background of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, died. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the facility links to age-related causes, but which campaigners say reflects the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The facility did not open to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the shutdown. “Structural materials is falling apart from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and move about with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not reply to a questionnaire, but in the past asserted: “The whales … receive far better medical attention and constant attention than any human in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in the spring following the death of Eos, an sick beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the facility thought particulars of the death were leaked to the press and she was let go soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the park’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any attempts to put down even a single beluga would require “significant personnel”, equipment and heavy equipment.

“It’s impossible in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

She advocates for requests for the whales to be taken right away from the facility, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In late September, Canada’s government official denied a proposal to send the whales to China.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a continued existence in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that belugas belong in the wild, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in good conscience permit an export that would prolong the situation these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments indicate a more general lack of awareness of the facts of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers struggle to find a answer, suggestions have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of food for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has proven contentious. The prospective location, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, is not yet built. Supporters remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a sustainable answer for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the idea of a protected habitat indicates a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a workable plan in the near future.

Charles Vinick, head of the plan, said the facility will replicate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|