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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming little “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a shuttered park, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated controversy over their fate often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to China, the controversial facility near the famous falls where they are kept warned to put them down unless the government pays for the upkeep of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, problem solving and communal behavior point to they are remarkably smart creatures – something a former trainer learned directly.

She spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that entailed gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so surprised by the details and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She developed a deep bond for a pair of whales with contrasting temperaments.

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

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales evolved against a context of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say indicates the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the shutdown. “Concrete is breaking off from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but in the past stated: “The whales … get far higher quality medical attention and constant supervision than any person in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in recent months following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the facility thought details of the death were shared to the media and she was released not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and staff members in despair. She says the park’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any efforts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “immense manpower”, equipment and machinery.

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

Burgess supports calls for the whales to be transferred right away from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a proposal to export the whales to China.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a perpetual situation in captivity and a return to display for amusement,” the minister stated. “As the public, we know that whales are meant for the sea, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an transfer that would prolong the situation these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reflect a wider lack of awareness of the realities of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities work to find a solution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of food for Indigenous peoples.

A planned sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received official endorsement, has been most controversial. The future facility, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain hopeful that it could in time represent a long term resolution for eight of the whales.

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

Others say the possibility of a refuge represents a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a feasible approach in the short term.

The project lead, leader of the initiative, said the site will replicate the mental engagement and diet the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|