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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable small “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a struggle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated controversy over their destiny often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government blocked the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near the famous falls where they are held warned to euthanize them unless the government covers the expense of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that demand, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and communal behavior suggest they are deeply intelligent creatures – something one caretaker observed directly.

Burgess spent several years as a whale caretaker, a job that required earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the nuances and unique traits in their characters. She developed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting temperaments.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “They altered the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales developed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, died. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a toll which the park ascribes to natural mortality, but which advocates say indicates the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The park did not open to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes results of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and swim around with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not comment to a request for comment, but previously stated: “The whales … obtain far higher quality health care and 24/7 care than any individual in the UK, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in early March following the passing of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility suspected details of the death were leaked to the media and she was released not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s warning to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any efforts to put down even a individual beluga would require “significant manpower”, equipment and machinery.

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

She advocates for calls for the whales to be removed promptly from the park, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a request to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a continued existence in captivity and a return to display for amusement,” the minister stated. “As the public, we know that marine mammals are meant for the sea, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience approve an transfer that would prolong the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reveal a broader misunderstanding of the realities of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a resolution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of food for Inuit communities.

A suggested protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which has received regulatory clearance, has proven most controversial. The planned site, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a sustainable answer for some of the whales.

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

Some experts say the idea of a sanctuary represents a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a viable plan in the coming months.

An official, head of the sanctuary project, said the site will simulate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales get from specialists, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|