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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute little “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a struggle between a shuttered park, government authorities and advocacy groups.

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

After the Canadian government prevented the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are held threatened to end their lives unless the government funds the cost of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and social skills indicate they are remarkably smart animals – something a former trainer discovered personally.

She spent three years as a whale caretaker, a position that involved gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

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

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the details and unique traits in their dispositions. She formed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting personalities.

“One whale chose me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “They transformed the way I understand connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales evolved against a context of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her three years at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park links to natural mortality, but which advocates say reflects the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The park did not open to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes effects of the closure. “Concrete is breaking off from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and navigate with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a request for comment, but earlier asserted: “The whales … receive far superior medical attention and 24/7 supervision than any individual in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in the spring following the death of a beluga, an unwell beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected particulars of the death were shared to the press and she was released not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left her and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s warning to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any plans to put down even a single beluga would require “considerable manpower”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

“It cannot happen in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

She backs calls for the whales to be taken promptly from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

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

“To approve the application would have meant a perpetual situation in confinement and a return to public entertainment,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that whales belong in the sea, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience approve an transfer that would prolong the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reveal a wider lack of awareness of the circumstances of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a resolution, ideas have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of food for local populations.

A suggested refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received official endorsement, has proven highly debated. The prospective facility, which includes extensive space of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a sustainable resolution for a number of the whales.

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

Others say the possibility of a sanctuary indicates a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a feasible approach in the near future.

The project lead, leader of the sanctuary project, said the site will mimic the mental engagement and nutrition the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|