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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a tussle between a closed attraction, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense debate over their future often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the federal government prevented the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling attraction near the famous falls where they are housed stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the authorities covers the cost of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and social skills suggest they are remarkably smart mammals – something one caretaker discovered directly.

Burgess spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that involved earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the details and quirks in their characters. She formed a deep bond for a pair of whales with opposing personalities.

“Eve chose me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Both altered the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s interaction with the whales progressed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the facility links to age-related causes, but which advocates say points to the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The facility did not operate to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand results of the cessation. “Concrete is falling apart from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and move about with chunks in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not comment to a request for comment, but in the past asserted: “The whales … receive far better medical attention and constant care than any person in the Britain, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in early March following the demise of a beluga, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the park believed particulars of the incident were shared to the news outlets and she was fired not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the facility’s threat to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any plans to put down even a one beluga would require “significant staff”, trucks and machinery.

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

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

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

“To approve the request would have meant a continued existence in enclosure and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official wrote. “As society, we know that marine mammals are meant for the sea, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience approve an transfer that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks indicate a more general lack of awareness of the circumstances of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities struggle to find a solution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has been highly debated. The prospective facility, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Supporters remain positive that it could in time represent a long term answer for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the idea of a sanctuary represents a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible approach in the near future.

Charles Vinick, leader of the initiative, said the site will simulate the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|