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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a disagreement between a defunct facility, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned debate over their fate often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the federal government disallowed the sale of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near the famous falls where they are held threatened to put them down unless the federal government pays for the cost of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and group interactions suggest they are remarkably smart creatures – something Kristy Burgess discovered personally.

She spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a job that entailed earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity 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 extraordinary and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the nuances and unique traits in their dispositions. She cultivated a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting temperaments.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Each transformed the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales developed against a context of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the park ascribes to expected lifespan, but which activists say points to the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The facility did not admit visitors to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes effects of the cessation. “Structural materials is falling apart from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not comment to a questionnaire, but in the past asserted: “The whales … obtain far higher quality veterinary services and around the clock attention than any person in the Britain, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in recent months following the passing of a beluga, an sick beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility believed particulars of the death were disclosed to the news outlets and she was let go soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s warning to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any efforts to put down even a single beluga would require “significant personnel”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

Burgess supports demands for the whales to be taken promptly from the park, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a request to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a continued situation in captivity and a return to public entertainment,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that marine mammals belong in the ocean, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience permit an export that would prolong the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reveal a broader incorrect perception of the circumstances of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities attempt to find a solution, ideas have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of food for Inuit communities.

A suggested protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received official endorsement, has been contentious. The prospective facility, which includes a large area of protected cove, is not yet built. Advocates remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a sustainable solution for a number of the whales.

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

Different voices say the possibility of a refuge indicates a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a viable approach in the coming months.

An official, director of the initiative, said the site will simulate the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|