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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute little “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a struggle between a closed attraction, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the intense debate over their destiny often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the people who see them each day.

After the federal government prevented the transfer of the belugas to China, the controversial attraction near Niagara Falls where they are held threatened to euthanize them unless the authorities pays for the expense of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, problem solving and group interactions indicate they are highly cognitive animals – something Kristy Burgess observed directly.

Burgess spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that entailed earning the trust of the sea creatures.

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

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She cultivated a deep bond for a pair of whales with opposing natures.

“Eve selected me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “They transformed the way I perceive relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s relationship with the whales progressed against a context of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the park links to age-related causes, but which campaigners say points to the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The facility did not open to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly effects of the cessation. “Concrete is falling apart from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and navigate with chunks in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not respond to a questionnaire, but earlier claimed: “The whales … get far higher quality health care and around the clock supervision than any person in the UK, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in recent months following the demise of Eos, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the park believed particulars of the incident were leaked to the press and she was fired soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the facility’s warning to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any efforts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “considerable personnel”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess supports calls for the whales to be removed promptly from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a proposal to export the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the application would have meant a ongoing situation in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the official commented. “As society, we know that marine mammals are meant for the ocean, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience permit an export that would prolong the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments indicate a broader lack of awareness of the facts of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a solution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received government approval, has shown to be highly debated. The planned facility, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a sustainable answer for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the prospect of a sanctuary indicates a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a workable approach in the short term.

An official, director of the initiative, said the facility will replicate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|