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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable small “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a disagreement between a defunct facility, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

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

After the national authorities disallowed the sale of the belugas to China, the controversial attraction near the famous falls where they are housed threatened to euthanize them unless the federal government funds the upkeep of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and group interactions point to they are deeply intelligent animals – something Kristy Burgess discovered first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a job that involved earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the nuances and unique traits in their characters. She formed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing personalities.

“One whale selected me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They changed the way I perceive connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales evolved against a context of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her three years at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility ascribes to age-related causes, but which advocates say points to the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not open to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes effects of the closure. “Concrete is breaking off from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and navigate with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not respond to a questionnaire, but previously claimed: “The whales … receive far higher quality health care and constant care than any human in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in recent months following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility believed information of the incident were leaked to the press and she was let go not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left her and staff members in distress. She says the park’s threat to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “significant manpower”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

She backs requests for the whales to be taken promptly from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In recent months, Canada’s government official denied a request to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a continued existence in enclosure and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As Canadians, we know that belugas belong in the wild, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing authorize an transfer that would continue the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s statements reveal a more general incorrect perception of the circumstances of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials attempt to find a solution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has been highly debated. The prospective facility, which includes a large area of protected cove, is not yet built. Proponents remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a sustainable resolution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the prospect of a refuge represents a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable plan in the short term.

An official, head of the sanctuary project, said the facility will replicate the cognitive activities and diet the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|