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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a disagreement between a closed attraction, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the heated debate over their fate often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the people who see them each day.

After the national authorities prevented the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling attraction near the famous falls where they are housed stated it would consider to end their lives unless the federal government covers the expense of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and communal behavior suggest they are deeply intelligent creatures – something a former trainer observed first-hand.

Burgess spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that required gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so amazed by the subtleties and quirks in their personalities. She formed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing personalities.

“Eve chose me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Each changed the way I perceive relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales progressed against a background of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her tenure at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, died. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility attributes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say reflects the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The facility did not admit visitors to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the cessation. “Structural materials is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and navigate with pieces in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not comment to a inquiry, but in the past claimed: “The whales … receive far higher quality health care and constant attention than any individual in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the park suspected details of the death were shared to the press and she was let go soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and other caretakers in anguish. She says the facility’s warning to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any attempts to put down even a one beluga would require “immense staff”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess advocates for calls for the whales to be taken immediately from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official turned down a request to send the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the request would have meant a ongoing situation in captivity and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As Canadians, we know that whales belong in the sea, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience approve an transfer that would prolong the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements reveal a broader incorrect perception of the realities of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a resolution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of food for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has proven most controversial. The planned site, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain hopeful that it could in time represent a permanent answer for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the prospect of a sanctuary represents a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable plan in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, director of the sanctuary project, said the facility will simulate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|