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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming small “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a tussle between a closed attraction, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense discussion over their destiny often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the people who work with them regularly.

After the federal government prevented the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial facility near the famous falls where they are kept warned to euthanize them unless the authorities funds the upkeep of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and group interactions point to they are highly cognitive mammals – something a former trainer observed personally.

She spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that involved gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable 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 quirks in their personalities. She cultivated a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing personalities.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “They changed the way I understand relationships.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her tenure at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the park links to expected lifespan, but which activists say reflects the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not open to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly effects of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not reply to a questionnaire, but in the past claimed: “The whales … get far better health care and around the clock supervision than any person in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in recent months following the passing of a beluga, an sick beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the park suspected details of the death were leaked to the news outlets and she was fired not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any plans to put down even a one beluga would require “immense staff”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

She supports requests for the whales to be removed promptly from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

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

“Granting the proposal would have meant a perpetual situation in captivity and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that whales are meant for the wild, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience authorize an transfer that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks reflect a more general misunderstanding of the realities of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities struggle to find a resolution, ideas have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has been contentious. The planned location, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Supporters remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a permanent resolution for a number 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’ well-being.

Some experts say the idea of a protected habitat represents a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a feasible solution in the coming months.

An official, leader of the plan, said the site will replicate the mental engagement and diet the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|