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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute small “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a disagreement between a closed attraction, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned controversy over their fate often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the people who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government prevented the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled attraction near the famous falls where they are held stated it would consider to end their lives unless the federal government funds the expense of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and communal behavior point to they are deeply intelligent animals – something Kristy Burgess learned first-hand.

Burgess spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that required building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the subtleties and unique traits in their dispositions. She developed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing temperaments.

“One whale selected me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Each transformed the way I perceive relationships.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s connection with the whales evolved against a background of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her three years at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, died. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility attributes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say indicates the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The facility did not open to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand results of the shutdown. “Structural materials is falling apart from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and navigate with chunks in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but in the past asserted: “The whales … receive far higher quality veterinary services and constant supervision than any human in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in the spring following the passing of Eos, an ailing beluga the employees had to put down. She said the facility believed details of the death were disclosed to the media and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left her and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s warning to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “significant manpower”, equipment and heavy equipment.

“There’s no way in hell the caretakers would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess backs calls for the whales to be transferred promptly from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a bid to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the application would have meant a continued situation in captivity and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister commented. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals are meant for the sea, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in good conscience approve an transfer that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks indicate a more general incorrect perception of the realities of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a resolution, ideas have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of food for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received official endorsement, has been highly debated. The planned location, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain positive that it could eventually represent a long term resolution for some 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 refuge indicates a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible solution in the short term.

The project lead, leader of the plan, said the facility will replicate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|