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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable small “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a tussle between a closed attraction, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense discussion over their future often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the federal government blocked the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial attraction near the famous falls where they are held stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the federal government pays for the upkeep of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that request, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and social skills indicate they are deeply intelligent mammals – something a former trainer observed directly.

Burgess spent three years as a beluga trainer, a position that involved earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the nuances and quirks in their dispositions. She cultivated a special affection for a pair of whales with different natures.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Both changed the way I understand relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales developed against a context of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

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

The facility did not operate to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the shutdown. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but earlier claimed: “The whales … obtain far higher quality veterinary services and constant supervision than any human in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an ailing beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the park believed particulars of the death were leaked to the media and she was released not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left her and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the facility’s threat to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any efforts to put down even a individual beluga would require “considerable staff”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

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

In recent months, the nation’s government official denied a request to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the application would have meant a continued life in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As society, we know that whales are meant for the wild, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience approve an transfer that would prolong the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks reveal a more general incorrect perception of the realities of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

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

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As authorities work to find a answer, proposals have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A suggested refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received regulatory clearance, has shown to be contentious. The future location, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Advocates remain positive that it could ultimately represent a sustainable resolution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the possibility of a refuge indicates a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable plan in the near future.

An official, leader of the plan, said the site will replicate the cognitive activities and diet the whales get from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|