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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming little “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a tussle between a shuttered park, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated debate over their destiny often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the people who see them each day.

After the federal government disallowed the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near the famous falls where they are held warned to euthanize them unless the government pays for the expense of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and communal behavior point to they are deeply intelligent creatures – something a former trainer discovered first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a position that required gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so surprised by the details and quirks in their characters. She developed a special affection for two female belugas with different personalities.

“Eve selected me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Both altered the way I perceive connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

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

During her three years at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, died. 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 poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The park did not open to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the cessation. “Structural materials is breaking off from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and swim around with pieces in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not respond to a request for comment, but previously claimed: “The whales … receive far higher quality health care and 24/7 care than any human in the UK, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in the spring following the demise of a beluga, an unwell beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the park believed details of the death were disclosed to the press and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and staff members in despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any efforts to put down even a single beluga would require “immense staff”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

She advocates for calls for the whales to be taken right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In recent months, Canada’s government official denied a request to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a perpetual existence in enclosure and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official wrote. “As society, we know that belugas belong in the wild, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in good conscience approve an export that would prolong the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reveal a wider misunderstanding of the realities of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities attempt to find a solution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of sustenance for local populations.

A proposed refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which has received regulatory clearance, has been most controversial. The planned site, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain optimistic that it could in time represent a permanent resolution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ future.

Others say the possibility of a protected habitat indicates a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a workable approach in the short term.

Charles Vinick, head of the plan, said the location will mimic the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales get from specialists, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|