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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable small “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a disagreement between a closed attraction, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense controversy over their future often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the people who see them each day.

After the federal government prevented the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial facility near the famous falls where they are housed threatened to euthanize them unless the authorities funds the expense of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that request, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and social skills indicate they are highly cognitive animals – something a former trainer discovered first-hand.

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

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the nuances and quirks in their characters. She formed a special affection for two female belugas with opposing temperaments.

“Eve selected me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Each altered the way I understand relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales evolved against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility ascribes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say reflects the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly consequences of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and navigate with chunks in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not comment to a questionnaire, but earlier stated: “The whales … obtain far superior medical attention and around the clock attention than any individual in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in recent months following the death of Eos, an sick beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park thought information of the death were disclosed to the news outlets and she was released not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any efforts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “considerable personnel”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

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

In the autumn, Canada’s government official denied a request to transfer the whales to China.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a perpetual life in enclosure and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official wrote. “As the public, we know that marine mammals are meant for the sea, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience permit an transfer that would continue the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements reveal a wider lack of awareness of the realities of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials attempt to find a resolution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of food for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received government approval, has been most controversial. The planned location, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a long term answer for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the possibility of a sanctuary indicates a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a feasible plan in the short term.

An official, leader of the initiative, said the facility will simulate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|