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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a struggle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the intense discussion over their destiny often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the people who see them each day.

After the national authorities prevented the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to end their lives unless the government pays for the expense of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that demand, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and communal behavior suggest they are deeply intelligent creatures – something one caretaker learned directly.

She spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that involved gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

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

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the details and unique traits in their dispositions. She cultivated a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with different natures.

“One whale chose me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Each changed the way I view relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales progressed against a background of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her tenure at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, died. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park links to expected lifespan, but which advocates say reflects the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The facility did not operate to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the shutdown. “Concrete is falling apart from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not respond to a inquiry, but earlier claimed: “The whales … get far superior health care and around the clock supervision than any human in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in the spring following the death of a beluga, an unwell beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility thought details of the death were disclosed to the media and she was fired soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left her and other caretakers in anguish. She says the park’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any plans to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “significant personnel”, equipment and machinery.

“It’s impossible in hell the caretakers would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess supports calls for the whales to be taken promptly from the park, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In late September, Canada’s government official turned down a proposal to export the whales to China.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a ongoing existence in captivity and a return to display for amusement,” the minister stated. “As the public, we know that whales should be in the sea, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience authorize an transfer that would prolong the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks indicate a wider misunderstanding of the circumstances of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

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

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities work to find a answer, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a important part of food for Indigenous peoples.

A planned protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received regulatory clearance, has been highly debated. The future site, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a long term answer for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the idea of a sanctuary reflects a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a viable approach in the near future.

Charles Vinick, director of the plan, said the site will replicate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|