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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute little “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a struggle between a closed attraction, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated discussion over their fate often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the federal government prevented the export of the belugas to China, the embattled attraction near the famous falls where they are housed stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the authorities pays for the expense of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and social skills point to they are deeply intelligent animals – something one caretaker observed personally.

She spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a position that required gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Developing those bonds 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 mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the details and quirks in their personalities. She cultivated a special affection for two female belugas with different temperaments.

“One whale chose me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Both transformed the way I perceive bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales progressed against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her tenure at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, died. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the park links to natural mortality, but which activists say points to the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The facility did not operate to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the cessation. “Concrete is falling apart from the tanks because they’re falling apart 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 park did not respond to a request for comment, but in the past stated: “The whales … receive far higher quality health care and 24/7 care than any individual in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in early March following the death of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to put down. She said the facility suspected information of the death were shared to the news outlets and she was released soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any attempts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “considerable personnel”, equipment and machinery.

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

Burgess supports calls for the whales to be taken right away from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official turned down a bid to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the application would have meant a ongoing situation in confinement and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals should be in the wild, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience permit an transfer that would prolong the situation these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements reveal a wider incorrect perception of the circumstances of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers attempt to find a solution, proposals have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of food for local populations.

A proposed protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has been most controversial. The planned facility, which includes a large area of protected cove, is not yet built. Proponents remain positive that it could in time represent a long term answer for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the possibility of a refuge indicates a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable approach in the near future.

An official, head of the sanctuary project, said the site will mimic the cognitive activities and diet the whales get from trainers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|