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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a tussle between a closed attraction, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated discussion over their fate often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the people who see them each day.

After the national authorities disallowed the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near the famous falls where they are held stated it would consider to end their lives unless the government funds the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and social skills point to they are deeply intelligent animals – something Kristy Burgess observed first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a position that required building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the details and unique traits in their dispositions. She cultivated a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with different natures.

“Eve selected me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “They changed the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales progressed against a context of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her time at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, died. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the facility links to age-related causes, but which advocates say reflects the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The facility did not operate to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand results of the shutdown. “Concrete is deteriorating from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not comment to a questionnaire, but previously asserted: “The whales … get far superior health care and 24/7 supervision than any person in the Britain, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in recent months following the death of a beluga, an unwell beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the park suspected particulars of the incident were leaked to the news outlets and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any attempts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “immense manpower”, trucks and machinery.

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

She supports calls for the whales to be taken right away from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a proposal to send the whales to China.

“Granting the application would have meant a ongoing existence in captivity and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that marine mammals belong in the wild, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing authorize an transfer that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks indicate a broader incorrect perception of the realities of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a solution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A planned protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received regulatory clearance, has been contentious. The future location, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a long term solution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the possibility of a protected habitat represents a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible plan in the short term.

Charles Vinick, director of the initiative, said the location will mimic the mental engagement and diet the whales get from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|