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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute little “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a struggle between a closed attraction, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense discussion over their future often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the people who work with them regularly.

After the federal government prevented the transfer of the belugas to China, the embattled attraction near the famous falls where they are housed stated it would consider to put them down unless the government funds the cost of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and group interactions suggest they are remarkably smart animals – something a former trainer learned directly.

She spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that entailed earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so astounded by the subtleties and quirks in their personalities. She cultivated a deep bond for a pair of whales with contrasting temperaments.

“Eve selected me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Both transformed the way I perceive connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales progressed against a background of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, died. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a toll which the park ascribes to natural mortality, but which activists say points to the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The facility did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand results of the shutdown. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and move about with chunks in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not respond to a inquiry, but earlier asserted: “The whales … obtain far superior health care and around the clock supervision than any person in the UK, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in the spring following the passing of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the park suspected information of the death were leaked to the news outlets and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the park’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “considerable manpower”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

She backs demands for the whales to be taken promptly from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a request to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the application would have meant a ongoing existence in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals belong in the sea, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing authorize an export that would continue the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments indicate a more general misunderstanding of the circumstances of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a answer, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A planned sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has been most controversial. The future location, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain positive that it could eventually represent a permanent solution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ future.

Others say the possibility of a sanctuary indicates a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible plan in the coming months.

An official, head of the plan, said the facility will replicate the mental engagement and diet the whales get from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|