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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a disagreement between a defunct facility, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their future often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the federal government blocked the transfer of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to end their lives unless the government funds the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and group interactions suggest they are deeply intelligent animals – something one caretaker learned directly.

She spent three years as a beluga trainer, a position that involved earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so surprised by the details and unique traits in their characters. She formed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing natures.

“One whale chose me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “They transformed the way I view relationships.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s interaction with the whales progressed against a background of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her tenure at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, died. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the facility ascribes to natural mortality, but which activists say indicates the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The facility did not open to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the shutdown. “Concrete is falling apart from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not comment to a request for comment, but previously stated: “The whales … get far better health care and 24/7 supervision than any human in the Britain, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in early March following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park suspected information of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was released shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in anguish. 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 “immense staff”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess advocates for requests for the whales to be removed right away from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

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

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a perpetual life in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that marine mammals are meant for the wild, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an relocation that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks reflect a more general incorrect perception of the facts of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities attempt to find a solution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of food for Inuit communities.

A suggested protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has been highly debated. The prospective site, which includes extensive space of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain positive that it could ultimately represent a long term solution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the possibility of a protected habitat reflects a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a workable plan in the short term.

An official, head of the plan, said the site will simulate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|