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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a struggle between a closed attraction, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned debate over their future often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government prevented the export of the belugas to China, the controversial facility near the famous falls where they are held warned to euthanize them unless the authorities covers the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and communal behavior indicate they are highly cognitive animals – something Kristy Burgess discovered first-hand.

She spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that required earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very cautious 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 nevertheless amazed by the subtleties and unique traits in their dispositions. She developed a special affection for a pair of whales with opposing temperaments.

“Eve chose me. The other required effort,” she said. “Both changed the way I perceive connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales developed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her tenure at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility ascribes to natural mortality, but which activists say reflects the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not open to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the cessation. “Concrete is breaking off from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and swim around with pieces in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not comment to a questionnaire, but previously asserted: “The whales … get far superior health care and 24/7 attention than any human in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the facility believed information of the incident were leaked to the media and she was let go not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left her and other caretakers in distress. She says the park’s warning to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “immense personnel”, vehicles and machinery.

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

Burgess backs calls for the whales to be removed promptly from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official turned down a bid to send the whales to China.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a continued existence in confinement and a return to display for amusement,” the minister commented. “As Canadians, we know that belugas are meant for the wild, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing approve an relocation that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments reveal a wider incorrect perception of the realities of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a resolution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a important part of food for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received government approval, has proven highly debated. The future location, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain positive that it could in time represent a sustainable resolution 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 “only an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the prospect of a refuge represents a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable solution in the near future.

Charles Vinick, head of the plan, said the location will replicate the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|