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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a shuttered park, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense discussion over their fate often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the people who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government blocked the sale of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near the famous falls where they are housed stated it would consider to end their lives unless the federal government funds the expense of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and social skills point to they are deeply intelligent animals – something one caretaker learned first-hand.

She spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a position that involved building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the details and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She cultivated a particular love for a pair of whales with opposing temperaments.

“One whale accepted me. The other demanded work,” she said. “They transformed the way I view relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales developed against a context of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, died. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park ascribes to age-related causes, but which advocates say points to the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The facility did not admit visitors to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand effects of the cessation. “Concrete is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and move about with fragments in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not comment to a questionnaire, but earlier stated: “The whales … obtain far better veterinary services and 24/7 supervision than any human in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in early March following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the facility suspected information of the death were shared to the press and she was released shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any efforts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “significant staff”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess advocates for calls for the whales to be taken promptly from the park, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In late September, the nation’s government official rejected a proposal to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the request would have meant a perpetual existence in captivity and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official stated. “As society, we know that belugas are meant for the ocean, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience approve an export that would continue the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements indicate a more general misunderstanding of the realities of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities work to find a resolution, ideas have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a important part of food for local populations.

A suggested refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has proven highly debated. The future site, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a long term resolution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the possibility of a sanctuary represents a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable solution in the near future.

The project lead, director of the sanctuary project, said the facility will mimic the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|