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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming little “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a closed attraction, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their destiny often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the people who see them each day.

After the Canadian government disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled facility near the famous falls where they are held threatened to end their lives unless the government pays for the cost of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, problem solving and group interactions suggest they are remarkably smart creatures – something a former trainer observed personally.

She spent three years as a whale caretaker, a role that required earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very cautious 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.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so surprised by the nuances and quirks in their dispositions. She formed a particular love for a pair of whales with contrasting personalities.

“Eve chose me. The other required effort,” she said. “They changed the way I view bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales developed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, died. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the park ascribes to natural mortality, but which activists say reflects the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The facility did not operate to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes results of the cessation. “Structural materials is breaking off from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and swim around with fragments in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not respond to a questionnaire, but previously stated: “The whales … obtain far higher quality veterinary services and around the clock care than any person in the UK, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in recent months following the demise of a beluga, an ailing beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park believed particulars of the death were leaked to the media and she was released soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the park’s threat to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any plans to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “considerable manpower”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

She advocates for calls for the whales to be transferred immediately from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

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

“Granting the request would have meant a ongoing situation in captivity and a return to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As the public, we know that marine mammals should be in the sea, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience permit an transfer that would continue the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks reveal 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 captivity and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials work to find a solution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A suggested refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received government approval, has proven highly debated. The prospective site, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Proponents remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a sustainable solution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the prospect of a sanctuary reflects a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible solution in the near future.

The project lead, leader of the initiative, said the location will replicate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales get from trainers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|