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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming little “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a tussle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense discussion over their future often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the embattled amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are housed warned to euthanize them unless the federal government pays for the upkeep of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and group interactions suggest they are remarkably smart creatures – something Kristy Burgess learned personally.

She spent several years as a whale caretaker, a position that entailed gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of consistency 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 open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She developed a deep bond for two female belugas with opposing temperaments.

“Eve chose me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Both changed the way I perceive connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales evolved against a background of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her time at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park ascribes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say indicates the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the cessation. “Concrete is breaking off from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and swim around with fragments in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not comment to a inquiry, but earlier asserted: “The whales … receive far superior medical attention and 24/7 attention than any person in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in the spring following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the facility suspected particulars of the incident were shared to the news outlets and she was let go not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and current and former trainers in despair. She says the park’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any efforts to put down even a single beluga would require “considerable manpower”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

She advocates for demands for the whales to be removed immediately from the park, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a proposal to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the application would have meant a perpetual life in confinement and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals should be in the sea, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing approve an transfer that would prolong the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments reflect a wider incorrect perception of the circumstances of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities struggle to find a resolution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of nourishment for local populations.

A planned refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has been highly debated. The planned site, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a long term solution for some of the whales.

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

Others say the idea of a refuge represents a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a workable solution in the short term.

An official, head of the sanctuary project, said the site will simulate the mental engagement and diet the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|