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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable small “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a tussle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned discussion over their destiny often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the people who see them each day.

After the Canadian government blocked the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling facility near the famous falls where they are housed threatened to end their lives unless the federal government funds the cost of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, problem solving and group interactions point to they are highly cognitive animals – something one caretaker discovered personally.

Burgess spent several years as a whale caretaker, a job that required earning the trust of the sea creatures.

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

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the details and quirks in their characters. She formed a special affection for two female belugas with opposing personalities.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Both altered the way I perceive bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales progressed against a context of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the park attributes to age-related causes, but which advocates say reflects the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The facility did not admit visitors to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the shutdown. “Concrete is breaking off from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and move about with chunks in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but earlier asserted: “The whales … receive far higher quality veterinary services and around the clock care than any human in the UK, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in recent months following the demise of a beluga, an ailing beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility thought particulars of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was let go soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any plans to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “immense staff”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

She backs demands for the whales to be removed promptly from the park, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the application would have meant a continued life in captivity and a return to public entertainment,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that marine mammals should be in the sea, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing approve an transfer that would prolong the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s statements reveal a wider incorrect perception of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a resolution, proposals have emerged, 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 primary resource of sustenance for local populations.

A proposed sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received official endorsement, has proven highly debated. The future facility, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain optimistic that it could in time represent a sustainable answer for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Others say the idea of a refuge indicates a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a workable solution in the coming months.

The project lead, director of the sanctuary project, said the facility will simulate the cognitive activities and diet the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|