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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute small “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but fiercely protective friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a tussle between a defunct facility, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense debate over their future often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the humans who see them each day.

After the federal government blocked the export of the belugas to China, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are housed warned to end their lives unless the federal government covers the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that request, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and communal behavior point to they are remarkably smart mammals – something Kristy Burgess observed directly.

Burgess spent several years as a whale caretaker, a job that involved earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the subtleties and unique traits in their dispositions. She formed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing personalities.

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

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales developed against a background of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her tenure at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park links to natural mortality, but which campaigners say reflects the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The park did not open to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the closure. “Structural materials is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and swim around with pieces in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a request for comment, but earlier claimed: “The whales … obtain far higher quality health care and around the clock care than any person in the UK, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in early March following the death of a beluga, an unwell beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the park thought information of the death were shared to the news outlets and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the facility’s threat to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any efforts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “considerable staff”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

“There’s no way 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 crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a bid to send the whales to China.

“To approve the request would have meant a ongoing life in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister wrote. “As society, we know that whales belong in the wild, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing permit an export that would continue the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks reflect a more general incorrect perception of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities attempt to find a resolution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of food for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which has received regulatory clearance, has been most controversial. The planned site, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a sustainable resolution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the idea of a sanctuary indicates a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a viable approach in the near future.

The project lead, leader of the plan, said the facility will mimic the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|