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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an charming small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a tussle between a closed attraction, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense debate over their future often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been closely studied by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities prevented the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling facility near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to put them down unless the federal government pays for the expense of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and group interactions indicate they are highly cognitive mammals – something a former trainer discovered directly.

She spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that entailed gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the details and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She cultivated a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing natures.

“One whale chose me. The other demanded work,” she said. “They changed the way I view relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s relationship with the whales progressed against a context of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her tenure at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, died. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the facility attributes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say indicates the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The facility did not open to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes results of the shutdown. “Concrete is deteriorating from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and swim around with pieces in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not reply to a request for comment, but previously stated: “The whales … receive far superior veterinary services and 24/7 attention than any human in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in early March following the passing of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility thought particulars of the death were leaked to the news outlets and she was let go soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “considerable staff”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

Burgess advocates for calls for the whales to be taken immediately from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In recent months, the nation’s government official rejected a proposal to send the whales to China.

“To approve the request would have meant a ongoing life in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the official wrote. “As the public, we know that marine mammals are meant for the wild, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an export that would prolong the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reflect a more general misunderstanding of the facts of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As authorities struggle to find a solution, ideas have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of food for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has proven highly debated. The prospective facility, which includes a large area of protected cove, is not yet built. Supporters remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a long term answer for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ future.

Others say the prospect of a refuge indicates a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a viable plan in the coming months.

The project lead, head of the plan, said the location will replicate the mental engagement and diet the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|