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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute small “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a tussle between a shuttered park, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the heated controversy over their destiny often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government prevented the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial attraction near the famous falls where they are housed threatened to put them down unless the federal government covers the expense of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and group interactions suggest they are remarkably smart creatures – something a former trainer learned first-hand.

Burgess spent three years as a whale caretaker, a position that entailed gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so astounded by the details and quirks in their characters. She developed a special affection for a pair of whales with different personalities.

“One whale selected me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “They changed the way I perceive bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

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

During her tenure at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since 2019, a statistic which the park links to expected lifespan, but which advocates say points to the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The facility did not operate to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly consequences of the closure. “Concrete is breaking off from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and move about with fragments in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not respond to a inquiry, but earlier claimed: “The whales … obtain far superior health care and constant care than any individual in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in recent months following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the park thought information of the incident were disclosed to the press and she was let go soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left her and staff members in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any plans to put down even a single beluga would require “immense staff”, equipment and machinery.

“There’s no way in hell the caretakers would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess supports requests for the whales to be removed promptly from the park, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official turned down a bid to export the whales to China.

“To approve the request would have meant a perpetual situation in confinement and a return to display for amusement,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals should be in the sea, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an transfer that would continue the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments indicate a broader misunderstanding of the facts of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities work to find a solution, proposals have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of food for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has been most controversial. The future facility, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a sustainable answer for a number of the whales.

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

Others say the idea of a protected habitat reflects a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a viable approach in the short term.

The project lead, leader of the sanctuary project, said the site will replicate the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|