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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a struggle between a closed attraction, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the heated debate over their fate often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the humans who see them each day.

After the Canadian government blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling attraction near the famous falls where they are housed warned to end their lives unless the federal government funds the cost of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and social skills suggest they are highly cognitive animals – something a former trainer learned first-hand.

She spent three years as a beluga trainer, a position that required building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so amazed by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She formed a particular love for two female belugas with different temperaments.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “They altered the way I view bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales evolved against a context of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her time at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility ascribes to natural mortality, but which activists say indicates the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The facility did not operate to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the shutdown. “Concrete is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a request for comment, but previously asserted: “The whales … receive far better health care and around the clock care than any person in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in the spring following the demise of Eos, an ailing beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park thought details of the incident were leaked to the press and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left her and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any plans to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “considerable personnel”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

She backs calls for the whales to be taken promptly from the facility, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

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

“To approve the proposal would have meant a ongoing life in confinement and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official commented. “As Canadians, we know that belugas should be in the wild, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience permit an transfer that would continue the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements indicate a broader incorrect perception of the circumstances of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials struggle to find a answer, proposals have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which now received regulatory clearance, has shown to be contentious. The prospective site, which includes a large area of protected cove, is not yet built. Supporters remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a sustainable resolution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the prospect of a refuge reflects a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a workable plan in the near future.

An official, head of the sanctuary project, said the site will simulate the mental engagement and diet the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|