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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute little “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a tussle between a shuttered park, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated debate over their future often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the people who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities prevented the sale of the belugas to China, the controversial amusement park near the famous falls where they are housed stated it would consider to put them down unless the government covers the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and communal behavior suggest they are deeply intelligent animals – something a former trainer learned directly.

She spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a job that entailed earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the details and quirks in their dispositions. She developed a particular love for a pair of whales with opposing personalities.

“Eve chose me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They changed the way I view connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s connection with the whales progressed against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her three years at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the facility attributes to age-related causes, but which advocates say indicates the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The park did not admit visitors to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly effects of the cessation. “Concrete is falling apart from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and swim around with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not comment to a request for comment, but in the past asserted: “The whales … obtain far better health care and 24/7 attention than any human in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in early March following the demise of a beluga, an ailing beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the facility suspected information of the incident were shared to the press and she was let go not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the park’s threat to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any efforts to put down even a individual beluga would require “significant staff”, vehicles and machinery.

“It’s impossible in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

She advocates for calls for the whales to be transferred promptly from the facility, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In recent months, Canada’s government official rejected a bid to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the request would have meant a ongoing existence in captivity and a return to display for amusement,” the official commented. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals should be in the wild, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience approve an relocation that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements reflect a wider lack of awareness of the facts of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials work to find a answer, suggestions have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a important part of sustenance for local populations.

A proposed refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received regulatory clearance, has proven most controversial. The future site, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, is not yet built. Supporters remain positive that it could in time represent a sustainable resolution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the prospect of a sanctuary represents a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible approach in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, director of the sanctuary project, said the site will replicate the mental engagement and diet the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|