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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming little “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a tussle between a closed attraction, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their fate often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the federal government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled attraction near the famous falls where they are held warned to put them down unless the government covers the upkeep of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and communal behavior suggest they are deeply intelligent mammals – something a former trainer observed personally.

She spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a job that entailed gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so surprised by the subtleties and quirks in their dispositions. She formed a particular love for two female belugas with opposing natures.

“Eve chose me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They transformed the way I view relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her tenure at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, died. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility links to expected lifespan, but which advocates say indicates the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly effects of the cessation. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and swim around with pieces in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not reply to a questionnaire, but previously claimed: “The whales … receive far superior medical attention and constant supervision than any human in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in recent months following the demise of a beluga, an unwell beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the facility thought information of the death were disclosed to the news outlets and she was fired soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “immense staff”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

She backs calls for the whales to be taken promptly from the park, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

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

“Allowing the request would have meant a ongoing situation in confinement and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that whales should be in the wild, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience approve an export that would prolong the situation these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements reflect a wider incorrect perception of the realities of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a solution, ideas have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A suggested refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received government approval, has proven contentious. The planned facility, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain positive that it could in time represent a sustainable resolution for a number of the whales.

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

Different voices say the possibility of a refuge indicates a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable solution in the short term.

The project lead, leader of the initiative, said the site will simulate the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|