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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a tussle between a shuttered park, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated controversy over their future often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the humans who see them each day.

After the federal government disallowed the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near the famous falls where they are kept warned to euthanize them unless the government pays for the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and social skills point to they are highly cognitive animals – something Kristy Burgess observed directly.

Burgess spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a position that involved earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the nuances and quirks in their characters. She formed a deep bond for two female belugas with different personalities.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Both changed the way I understand bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales progressed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her time at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park ascribes to natural mortality, but which activists say reflects the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not open to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the shutdown. “Concrete is falling apart from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and move about with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but in the past claimed: “The whales … get far superior health care and constant care than any person in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in early March following the passing of Eos, an ailing beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the park thought details of the incident were leaked to the media and she was released soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and other caretakers in anguish. She says the facility’s warning to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any plans to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “significant staff”, equipment and machinery.

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

Burgess advocates for requests for the whales to be removed promptly from the facility, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a proposal to export the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the request would have meant a ongoing life in confinement and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official wrote. “As society, we know that whales should be in the sea, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience authorize an export that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments indicate a broader lack of awareness of the facts of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a resolution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a key source of food for Inuit communities.

A suggested sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received government approval, has shown to be most controversial. The future location, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a permanent solution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the prospect of a protected habitat reflects a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a viable approach in the short term.

Charles Vinick, leader of the plan, said the site will mimic the mental engagement and nutrition the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|