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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a struggle between a defunct facility, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned controversy over their fate often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the humans who see them each day.

After the federal government prevented the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial attraction near the famous falls where they are housed warned to euthanize them unless the federal government covers the expense of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and group interactions indicate they are highly cognitive creatures – something Kristy Burgess observed first-hand.

She spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a job that entailed earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so astounded by the details and quirks in their characters. She developed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with different temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Each transformed the way I view relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

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

During her tenure at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility links to natural mortality, but which advocates say points to the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes results of the shutdown. “Concrete is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but in the past claimed: “The whales … get far superior medical attention and 24/7 care than any person in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in the spring following the death of a beluga, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility thought details of the incident were shared to the media and she was let go not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any plans to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “immense personnel”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

Burgess advocates for requests for the whales to be transferred immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a request to transfer the whales to China.

“Allowing the application would have meant a ongoing existence in enclosure and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official stated. “As the public, we know that belugas should be in the wild, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing permit an export that would continue the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements indicate a wider lack of awareness of the circumstances of existence for belugas born in captivity.

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

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials struggle to find a solution, ideas have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of food for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received government approval, has shown to be most controversial. The prospective site, which includes extensive space of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain positive that it could in time represent a long term resolution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the idea of a protected habitat represents a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a feasible solution in the short term.

The project lead, head of the initiative, said the site will replicate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|