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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute small “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a tussle between a closed attraction, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated debate over their fate often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the federal government disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near the famous falls where they are housed stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the federal government covers the cost of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that request, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and social skills point to they are remarkably smart creatures – something Kristy Burgess learned first-hand.

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

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so amazed by the details and quirks in their personalities. She formed a particular love for a pair of whales with contrasting temperaments.

“One whale chose me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “They changed the way I view bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s relationship with the whales developed against a background of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her three years at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the park links to expected lifespan, but which activists say reflects the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The park did not open to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the cessation. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not comment to a questionnaire, but earlier claimed: “The whales … receive far better veterinary services and constant attention than any person in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in early March following the death of a beluga, an unwell beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the park suspected details of the death were shared to the news outlets and she was released shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the park’s warning to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any plans to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “immense personnel”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

Burgess backs requests for the whales to be removed promptly from the park, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a bid to export the whales to China.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a continued existence in captivity and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister wrote. “As society, we know that belugas belong in the sea, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience approve an transfer that would continue the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks reflect a wider lack of awareness of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As authorities work to find a resolution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of food for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has proven contentious. The future location, which includes extensive space of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a permanent answer for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the prospect of a refuge represents a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable solution in the near future.

An official, leader of the sanctuary project, said the facility will replicate the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|