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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an charming little “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a tussle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense controversy over their future often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been closely studied by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities prevented the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled facility near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to end their lives unless the authorities covers the expense of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that demand, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and communal behavior indicate they are remarkably smart animals – something one caretaker discovered first-hand.

She spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that involved earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. 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 cultivated a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting personalities.

“One whale selected me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Each altered the way I understand relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales evolved against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her three years at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the park attributes to age-related causes, but which advocates say indicates the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The facility did not open to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand effects of the cessation. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and navigate with pieces in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not respond to a request for comment, but in the past stated: “The whales … get far superior medical attention and around the clock care than any individual in the UK, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in the spring following the demise of a beluga, an ailing beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park suspected particulars of the incident were disclosed to the press and she was let go soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and other caretakers in distress. She says the park’s warning to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any attempts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “considerable manpower”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

She advocates for calls for the whales to be removed right away from the facility, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official denied a request to export the whales to China.

“Granting the application would have meant a ongoing existence in enclosure and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that whales are meant for the wild, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing approve an transfer that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks reveal a more general misunderstanding of the circumstances of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers work to find a resolution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A suggested sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has proven highly debated. The prospective location, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain hopeful that it could in time represent a permanent answer for eight of the whales.

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

Different voices say the possibility of a protected habitat represents a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable solution in the near future.

An official, head of the initiative, said the location will replicate the mental engagement and diet the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|