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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a disagreement between a defunct facility, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned discussion over their fate often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government prevented the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled facility near the famous falls where they are held stated it would consider to end their lives unless the authorities funds the upkeep of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and communal behavior suggest they are remarkably smart mammals – something one caretaker learned personally.

She spent several years as a whale caretaker, a role that required building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so surprised by the details and unique traits in their dispositions. She formed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing temperaments.

“One whale accepted me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Both changed the way I understand connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales progressed against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her tenure at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, died. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a toll which the park ascribes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say reflects the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The facility did not operate to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the cessation. “Concrete is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and swim around with pieces in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not reply to a questionnaire, but in the past stated: “The whales … receive far superior health care and around the clock supervision than any person in the Britain, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the park in early March following the demise of Eos, an ailing beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park thought details of the incident were shared to the media and she was let go soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s warning to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any plans to euthanize even a single beluga would require “significant personnel”, equipment and machinery.

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

She supports calls for the whales to be taken right away from the park, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official rejected a bid to export the whales to China.

“To approve the request would have meant a continued situation in confinement and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister wrote. “As society, we know that belugas belong in the sea, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an transfer that would continue the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks reveal a broader misunderstanding of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a solution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A proposed sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has proven highly debated. The future location, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Proponents remain optimistic that it could in time represent a permanent solution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the possibility of a refuge represents a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable plan in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, leader of the plan, said the site will replicate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|