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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute little “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a closed attraction, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the heated discussion over their destiny often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the people who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near the famous falls where they are kept warned to put them down unless the federal government funds the cost of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and group interactions indicate they are remarkably smart animals – something one caretaker learned personally.

She spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that required building relationships of the marine predators.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so astounded by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She developed a deep bond for two female belugas with opposing personalities.

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

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s relationship with the whales developed against a context of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, died. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility ascribes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say reflects the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The facility did not open to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and navigate with chunks in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not comment to a request for comment, but earlier claimed: “The whales … obtain far better health care and constant care than any person in the UK, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in the spring following the demise of a beluga, an ailing beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the facility suspected details of the death were disclosed to the media and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the park’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any plans to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “significant staff”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

She backs requests for the whales to be removed right away from the park, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

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

“Allowing the application would have meant a continued existence in captivity and a return to display for amusement,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that whales belong in the wild, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience approve an relocation that would prolong the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements indicate a more general lack of awareness of the facts of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials attempt to find a resolution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received official endorsement, has been most controversial. The planned facility, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Proponents remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a sustainable resolution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ future.

Others say the idea of a refuge reflects a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a workable approach in the short term.

The project lead, head of the sanctuary project, said the site will mimic the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|