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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable small “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a tussle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the intense discussion over their fate often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government disallowed the sale of the belugas to China, the controversial facility near the famous falls where they are held threatened to euthanize them unless the authorities pays for the cost of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

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

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a position that required building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the nuances and unique traits in their dispositions. She developed a particular love for two female belugas with contrasting personalities.

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

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales progressed against a background of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the facility ascribes to age-related causes, but which activists say indicates the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The facility did not admit visitors to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly effects of the cessation. “Structural materials is falling apart from the pools because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and swim around with chunks in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not respond to a inquiry, but earlier asserted: “The whales … obtain far superior veterinary services and around the clock supervision than any human in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in recent months following the demise of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the facility thought details of the incident were shared to the media and she was released not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left her and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s warning to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any efforts to put down even a single beluga would require “significant staff”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

She backs demands for the whales to be transferred immediately from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a proposal to transfer the whales to China.

“To approve the application would have meant a ongoing life in enclosure and a return to display for amusement,” the official stated. “As society, we know that belugas are meant for the ocean, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an transfer that would prolong the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reveal a more general misunderstanding of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

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 freed into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A planned protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received regulatory clearance, has shown to be most controversial. The planned site, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain optimistic that it could in time represent a sustainable answer for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the possibility of a sanctuary indicates a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible solution in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, head of the sanctuary project, said the site will mimic the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|