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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an charming little “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

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

But those working directly with the whales say the heated debate over their destiny often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been closely studied by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities prevented the export of the belugas to China, the embattled attraction near the famous falls where they are housed threatened to euthanize them unless the government pays for the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and group interactions indicate they are remarkably smart mammals – something Kristy Burgess discovered first-hand.

Burgess spent several years as a whale caretaker, a role that required gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

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

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the details and quirks in their characters. She formed a special affection for a pair of whales with different temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Each changed the way I view bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales developed against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her time at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the park links to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say points to the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the closure. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and swim around with fragments in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not reply to a request for comment, but earlier stated: “The whales … obtain far higher quality health care and constant attention than any person in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in early March following the death of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the facility thought details of the death were shared to the news outlets and she was let go not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and staff members in despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “significant personnel”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

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

In recent months, Canada’s government official rejected a proposal to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a perpetual situation in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that belugas belong in the ocean, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing approve an transfer that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reflect a more general incorrect perception of the facts of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a solution, proposals have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of food for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received regulatory clearance, has proven most controversial. The future site, which includes extensive space of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain hopeful that it could in time represent a sustainable resolution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the idea of a protected habitat represents a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a viable approach in the coming months.

An official, head of the initiative, said the site will simulate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|