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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming small “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a tussle between a closed attraction, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned controversy over their destiny often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the Canadian government prevented the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial facility near the famous falls where they are housed warned to end their lives unless the federal government funds the upkeep of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and social skills indicate they are highly cognitive creatures – something one caretaker discovered personally.

Burgess spent three years as a whale caretaker, a job that entailed gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the start, 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 magical and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the nuances and unique traits in their dispositions. She formed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting personalities.

“One whale accepted me. The other demanded work,” she said. “They altered the way I perceive bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales progressed against a context of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her time at the facility, 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 ascribes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say points to the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The facility did not admit visitors to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly effects of the cessation. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and move about with pieces in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not respond to a questionnaire, but in the past asserted: “The whales … get far higher quality health care and constant care than any human in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in early March following the demise of Eos, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the park believed details of the incident were shared to the news outlets and she was fired not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left her 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 efforts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “significant personnel”, equipment and specialized tools.

“It’s impossible in hell the caretakers would ever do it,” she said.

She advocates for calls for the whales to be transferred promptly from the park, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a proposal to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the request would have meant a ongoing existence in captivity and a return to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As the public, we know that marine mammals should be in the ocean, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an export that would prolong the situation these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reveal a more general lack of awareness of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

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

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a solution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A proposed protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which now received regulatory clearance, has been most controversial. The future site, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a long term answer for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the prospect of a protected habitat indicates a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable approach in the near future.

The project lead, leader of the initiative, said the location will mimic the mental engagement and nutrition the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|