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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute small “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a defunct facility, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense discussion over their fate often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who see them each day.

After the Canadian government disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the controversial facility near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the federal government covers the expense of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, problem solving and communal behavior indicate they are deeply intelligent mammals – something Kristy Burgess observed first-hand.

She spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that required earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the subtleties and quirks in their dispositions. She formed a particular love for a pair of whales with different natures.

“One whale chose me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “They altered the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales progressed against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her tenure at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park ascribes to age-related causes, but which activists say indicates the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The facility did not admit visitors to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and swim around with pieces in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not reply to a request for comment, but earlier asserted: “The whales … get far better veterinary services and 24/7 attention than any human in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in recent months following the demise of a beluga, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the park suspected information of the incident were shared to the news outlets and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the facility’s threat to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any efforts to put down even a individual beluga would require “considerable manpower”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

She supports calls for the whales to be removed promptly from the facility, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In late September, Canada’s government official rejected a bid to transfer the whales to China.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a continued situation in enclosure and a return to display for amusement,” the official stated. “As the public, we know that belugas are meant for the ocean, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience approve an export that would prolong the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements reveal a wider misunderstanding of the realities of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a resolution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received official endorsement, has proven highly debated. The prospective location, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a long term resolution for eight of the whales.

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

Others say the prospect of a refuge indicates a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable plan in the coming months.

The project lead, leader of the initiative, said the site will mimic the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales get from specialists, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|