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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute little “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a tussle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the heated discussion over their fate often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the Canadian government blocked the sale of the belugas to China, the controversial amusement park near the famous falls where they are housed stated it would consider to end their lives unless the government pays for the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that request, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and communal behavior indicate they are remarkably smart mammals – something a former trainer observed personally.

Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a role that entailed gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the subtleties and quirks in their dispositions. She developed a particular love for a pair of whales with contrasting natures.

“Eve selected me. The other required effort,” she said. “Each altered the way I understand relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales progressed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the park links to expected lifespan, but which advocates say points to the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly effects of the shutdown. “Concrete is deteriorating from the pools because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and navigate with fragments in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but previously claimed: “The whales … receive far better veterinary services and 24/7 care than any human in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in recent months following the passing of Eos, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the park suspected particulars of the incident were leaked to the press and she was released soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any attempts to put down even a single beluga would require “considerable personnel”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

Burgess supports demands for the whales to be taken right away from the park, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a proposal to send the whales to China.

“Granting the request would have meant a ongoing situation in enclosure and a return to display for amusement,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that belugas are meant for the ocean, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing permit an relocation that would continue the situation these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks reflect a wider incorrect perception of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a resolution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of food for Inuit communities.

A planned protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has been most controversial. The future site, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Supporters remain hopeful that it could in time represent a long term resolution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the prospect of a protected habitat represents a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible approach in the short term.

Charles Vinick, director of the sanctuary project, said the location will replicate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|