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

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a struggle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense controversy over their fate often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government blocked the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling amusement park near the famous falls where they are held warned to end their lives unless the authorities covers the expense of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, problem solving and group interactions suggest they are highly cognitive mammals – something one caretaker learned first-hand.

She spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a position that entailed gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the details and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She cultivated a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with different personalities.

“One whale accepted me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Each changed the way I perceive connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

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

During her time at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park attributes to natural mortality, but which activists say indicates the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The facility did not admit visitors to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and swim around with chunks in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not comment to a questionnaire, but earlier asserted: “The whales … get far superior veterinary services and constant supervision than any person 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 unwell beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park believed information of the death were shared to the press and she was let go not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left her and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any efforts to put down even a individual beluga would require “considerable manpower”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

She advocates for calls for the whales to be taken right away from the park, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In recent months, the nation’s government official turned down a bid to send the whales to China.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a ongoing existence in enclosure and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that marine mammals belong in the wild, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing authorize an relocation that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks reveal a broader lack of awareness of the facts of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities work to find a answer, proposals have surfaced, 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 important part of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A planned sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has shown to be most controversial. The planned facility, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Advocates remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a long term solution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the idea of a refuge represents a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable solution in the short term.

Charles Vinick, leader of the initiative, said the location will replicate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|