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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute small “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a tussle between a shuttered park, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense discussion over their future often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government blocked the export of the belugas to China, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are held stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the authorities funds the cost of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and communal behavior indicate they are remarkably smart creatures – something Kristy Burgess learned directly.

She spent three years as a beluga trainer, a position that required gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the beginning, 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 wonderful and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so surprised by the subtleties and unique traits in their dispositions. She developed a special affection for two female belugas with opposing natures.

“One whale selected me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Each changed the way I view relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her three years at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a statistic which the facility attributes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say indicates the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes effects of the cessation. “Structural materials is breaking off from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not respond to a request for comment, but in the past stated: “The whales … receive far superior medical attention and constant care than any person in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in recent months following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the facility believed details of the death were disclosed to the press and she was let go soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left her and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any plans to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “immense personnel”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

She supports requests for the whales to be removed right away from the park, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a proposal to export the whales to China.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a ongoing existence in enclosure and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official commented. “As society, we know that belugas should be in the ocean, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an export that would prolong the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reveal a more general incorrect perception of the facts of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers struggle to find a solution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for local populations.

A planned refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received official endorsement, has shown to be highly debated. The planned location, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Advocates remain positive that it could ultimately represent a permanent resolution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the prospect of a sanctuary indicates a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a feasible plan in the near future.

The project lead, leader of the sanctuary project, said the site will replicate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|