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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a disagreement between a shuttered park, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their fate often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the federal government prevented the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near the famous falls where they are housed warned to put them down unless the government pays for the cost of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and communal behavior indicate they are remarkably smart animals – something a former trainer observed directly.

She spent three years as a beluga trainer, a role that entailed gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In 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 exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so amazed by the subtleties and unique traits in their characters. She cultivated a particular love for a pair of whales with opposing temperaments.

“Eve chose me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Each transformed the way I view bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s relationship with the whales developed against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her tenure at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the facility links to natural mortality, but which activists say indicates the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The facility did not admit visitors to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes results of the shutdown. “Structural materials is falling apart from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and move about with pieces in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not respond to a inquiry, but in the past stated: “The whales … get far superior health care and 24/7 attention than any individual in the Britain, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in early March following the passing of a beluga, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park suspected information of the death were shared to the press and she was let go soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and staff members in despair. She says the facility’s warning to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any plans to put down even a one beluga would require “considerable staff”, trucks and machinery.

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

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

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a request to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the request would have meant a ongoing situation in captivity and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister stated. “As society, we know that belugas should be in the ocean, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an export that would prolong the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s statements reflect a more general misunderstanding of the facts of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials struggle to find a solution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A planned sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received regulatory clearance, has shown to be most controversial. The future facility, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain optimistic that it could in time represent a permanent answer for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the possibility of a protected habitat reflects a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible approach in the near future.

An official, leader of the sanctuary project, said the facility will replicate the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales get from specialists, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|