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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a disagreement between a closed attraction, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the intense controversy over their future often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the controversial facility near the famous falls where they are kept warned to end their lives unless the federal government covers the expense of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and group interactions point to they are remarkably smart animals – something Kristy Burgess learned first-hand.

She spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a role that involved earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

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

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the details and unique traits in their dispositions. She cultivated a particular love for a pair of whales with contrasting temperaments.

“One whale chose me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Both altered the way I understand relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s relationship with the whales developed against a background of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her three years at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park links to age-related causes, but which campaigners say reflects the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The park did not admit visitors to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly results of the closure. “Concrete is breaking off from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not respond to a questionnaire, but earlier stated: “The whales … receive far higher quality health care and constant care than any individual in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in recent months following the passing of Eos, an sick beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the park suspected particulars of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was released not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “considerable staff”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

She backs demands for the whales to be removed immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

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

“To approve the proposal would have meant a ongoing situation in confinement and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official commented. “As Canadians, we know that belugas are meant for the wild, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience authorize an export that would continue the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks reflect a more general misunderstanding of the realities of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers work to find a resolution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of food for local populations.

A planned protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received official endorsement, has proven contentious. The planned facility, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Proponents remain hopeful that it could in time represent a long term answer for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the idea of a sanctuary represents a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable solution in the coming months.

The project lead, director of the sanctuary project, said the location will simulate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|