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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable little “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a tussle between a closed attraction, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated debate over their destiny often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the people who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities disallowed the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling attraction near the famous falls where they are housed warned to euthanize them unless the government funds the expense of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and social skills point to they are highly cognitive mammals – something Kristy Burgess discovered personally.

She spent three years as a whale caretaker, a position that involved earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the nuances and unique traits in their personalities. She formed a deep bond for a pair of whales with contrasting temperaments.

“One whale selected me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Both altered the way I perceive bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales evolved against a background of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the facility ascribes to expected lifespan, but which activists say indicates the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The facility did not open to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the shutdown. “Concrete is breaking off from the pools because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and move about with fragments in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not reply to a request for comment, but in the past stated: “The whales … obtain far higher quality medical attention and 24/7 attention than any individual in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in recent months following the passing of a beluga, an ailing beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the park thought particulars of the incident were shared to the news outlets and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left her and staff members in despair. She says the facility’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any plans to put down even a one beluga would require “immense staff”, equipment and machinery.

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

Burgess backs requests for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In recent months, the nation’s government official rejected a bid to export the whales to China.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a continued existence in captivity and a return to display for amusement,” the minister wrote. “As society, we know that marine mammals should be in the sea, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience approve an transfer that would prolong the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reflect a wider incorrect perception of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public 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 answer, ideas have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has been highly debated. The planned site, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Advocates remain positive that it could ultimately represent a permanent answer for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the prospect of a sanctuary represents a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a viable approach in the short term.

Charles Vinick, head of the initiative, said the location will simulate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|