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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute little “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a disagreement between a closed attraction, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated debate over their fate often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government prevented the sale of the belugas to China, the controversial amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to euthanize them unless the authorities covers the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, problem solving and communal behavior indicate they are remarkably smart mammals – something a former trainer discovered personally.

She spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a role that required gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the details and quirks in their characters. She cultivated a particular love for a pair of whales with different temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Each altered the way I perceive relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales progressed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the facility links to age-related causes, but which activists say reflects the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The park did not admit visitors to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the cessation. “Concrete is deteriorating from the pools because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and navigate with pieces in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not respond to a request for comment, but previously asserted: “The whales … receive far better medical attention and 24/7 supervision than any human in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in recent months following the passing of Eos, an sick beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the park suspected details of the death were leaked to the press and she was released soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and staff members in despair. She says the facility’s threat to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any efforts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “significant staff”, vehicles and machinery.

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

She backs calls for the whales to be removed promptly from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a bid to transfer the whales to China.

“Allowing the application would have meant a continued situation in captivity and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that belugas should be in the ocean, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing approve an relocation that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments indicate a broader misunderstanding of the facts of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a solution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for local populations.

A planned sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received government approval, has shown to be highly debated. The planned facility, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain hopeful that it could in time represent a permanent solution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the prospect of a protected habitat represents a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible approach in the short term.

The project lead, director of the initiative, said the site will replicate the mental engagement and diet the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|