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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a disagreement between a defunct facility, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense discussion over their destiny often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been closely studied by the people who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the embattled attraction near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to end their lives unless the authorities covers the expense of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that demand, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and communal behavior suggest they are highly cognitive mammals – something one caretaker observed personally.

She spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a job that required building relationships of the marine predators.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the subtleties and quirks in their dispositions. She formed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting natures.

“One whale chose me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They transformed the way I perceive relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s relationship with the whales progressed against a background of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the park attributes to natural mortality, but which advocates say indicates the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The park did not open to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand effects of the shutdown. “Concrete is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and move about with fragments in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not reply to a request for comment, but previously stated: “The whales … get far superior health care and around the clock attention than any individual in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in recent months following the passing of Eos, an unwell beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the park suspected particulars 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 despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any plans to put down even a single beluga would require “significant personnel”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

She supports calls for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official rejected a bid to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a continued existence in enclosure and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official wrote. “As society, we know that belugas belong in the sea, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience approve an export that would continue the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments indicate a wider incorrect perception of the realities of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials struggle to find a solution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of food for local populations.

A suggested refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has proven highly debated. The planned facility, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a long term resolution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the prospect of a protected habitat indicates a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible plan in the near future.

An official, director of the initiative, said the site will simulate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|