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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a disagreement between a shuttered park, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated controversy over their future often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the federal government blocked the sale of the belugas to China, the controversial amusement park near the famous falls where they are held warned to end their lives unless the federal government funds the expense of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and group interactions point to they are highly cognitive mammals – something a former trainer learned directly.

Burgess spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that required gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the subtleties and quirks in their dispositions. She cultivated a special affection for a pair of whales with different personalities.

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

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales developed against a context of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her time at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, died. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park ascribes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say indicates the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The facility did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the cessation. “Structural materials is breaking off from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and navigate with pieces in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not reply to a questionnaire, but in the past claimed: “The whales … obtain far superior veterinary services and constant supervision than any human in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the park believed information of the incident were shared to the news outlets and she was fired soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left her and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any efforts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “immense staff”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

She supports calls for the whales to be taken immediately from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official denied a proposal to send the whales to China.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a continued life in confinement and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that whales should be in the sea, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience approve an export that would prolong the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks indicate a more general misunderstanding of the facts of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities attempt to find a resolution, proposals have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of food for Inuit communities.

A suggested sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received official endorsement, has been contentious. The future location, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Advocates remain optimistic that it could in time represent a long term solution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the possibility of a protected habitat reflects a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a workable plan in the short term.

Charles Vinick, leader of the plan, said the facility will replicate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|