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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a disagreement between a closed attraction, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense discussion over their fate often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities blocked the export of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near the famous falls where they are held stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the government pays for the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and social skills suggest they are remarkably smart mammals – something Kristy Burgess discovered personally.

Burgess spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that entailed building relationships of the marine predators.

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

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so surprised by the nuances and quirks in their personalities. She formed a deep bond for two female belugas with different personalities.

“Eve selected me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Each transformed the way I view connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales developed against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility links to age-related causes, but which activists say points to the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not operate to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is breaking off from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and navigate with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not comment to a request for comment, but previously claimed: “The whales … obtain far higher quality medical attention and around the clock attention than any human in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in early March following the demise of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the facility suspected particulars of the incident were shared to the press and she was released shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the park’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any plans to euthanize even a single beluga would require “immense personnel”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

She backs demands for the whales to be removed immediately from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In late September, Canada’s government official turned down a bid to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a perpetual existence in confinement and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As society, we know that marine mammals are meant for the sea, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an transfer that would prolong the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments indicate a broader misunderstanding of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials work to find a solution, ideas have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has been most controversial. The planned site, which includes extensive space of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain positive that it could eventually represent a sustainable answer for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the possibility of a protected habitat represents a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a workable plan in the near future.

The project lead, director of the sanctuary project, said the facility will mimic the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|