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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a struggle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their future often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled attraction near the famous falls where they are held threatened to end their lives unless the government funds the upkeep of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that request, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and communal behavior point to they are remarkably smart creatures – something a former trainer observed first-hand.

Burgess spent three years as a whale caretaker, a role that entailed earning the trust of the sea creatures.

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

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so surprised by the details and quirks in their dispositions. She cultivated a particular love for two female belugas with different temperaments.

“One whale accepted me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Both changed the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales developed against a background of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her tenure at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility attributes to natural mortality, but which activists say reflects the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The facility did not admit visitors to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the closure. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the pools because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and swim around with chunks in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not reply to a inquiry, but previously stated: “The whales … obtain far better veterinary services and around the clock supervision than any person in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in recent months following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the facility thought details of the incident were shared to the press and she was fired soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left her and staff members in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any efforts to put down even a individual beluga would require “immense manpower”, vehicles and specialized tools.

“It cannot happen in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess advocates for calls for the whales to be transferred immediately from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a bid to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a perpetual situation in confinement and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As society, we know that marine mammals are meant for the sea, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience permit an transfer that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

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

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a resolution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A proposed protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received government approval, has shown to be contentious. The prospective facility, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Proponents remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a sustainable answer for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “doubts 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 workable solution in the near future.

The project lead, leader of the sanctuary project, said the location will replicate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|