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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an charming little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a disagreement between a defunct facility, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the heated debate over their destiny often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government disallowed the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial attraction near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the government covers the cost of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, problem solving and social skills suggest they are remarkably smart creatures – something a former trainer observed personally.

She spent several years as a beluga trainer, a position that required building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so amazed by the subtleties and quirks in their personalities. She cultivated a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting personalities.

“One whale selected me. The other required effort,” she said. “Each altered the way I understand relationships.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales evolved against a background of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her time at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the park attributes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say points to the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The facility did not admit visitors to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the cessation. “Structural materials is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and navigate with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not comment to a inquiry, but previously claimed: “The whales … receive far higher quality health care and constant care than any individual in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in early March following the passing of a beluga, an ailing beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected information of the incident were leaked to the press and she was released soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left her and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s warning to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any efforts to put down even a one beluga would require “immense manpower”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

She advocates for requests for the whales to be transferred right away from the park, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a bid to export the whales to China.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a continued existence in captivity and a return to display for amusement,” the official commented. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals should be in the sea, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience authorize an relocation that would continue the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements reveal a broader incorrect perception of the realities 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 constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a solution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a key source of food for Inuit communities.

A proposed refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received official endorsement, has been most controversial. The prospective site, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain positive that it could ultimately represent a sustainable solution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the prospect of a protected habitat represents a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable plan in the near future.

An official, head of the plan, said the facility will mimic the mental engagement and diet the whales get from specialists, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|