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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute small “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a disagreement between a closed attraction, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated debate over their fate often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government disallowed the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are held stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the authorities funds the expense of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and communal behavior suggest they are highly cognitive creatures – something one caretaker observed first-hand.

Burgess spent three years as a beluga trainer, a job that involved gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. 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 nonetheless astounded by the details and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She developed a particular love for a pair of whales with contrasting personalities.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “They transformed the way I view bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s relationship with the whales evolved against a background of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, died. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility ascribes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say indicates the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the shutdown. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and swim around with fragments in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but earlier asserted: “The whales … receive far superior medical attention and 24/7 attention than any person in the Britain, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in recent months following the passing of a beluga, an ailing beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the park believed details of the death were shared to the media and she was let go soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left her and other caretakers in despair. She says the park’s threat to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any plans to euthanize even a one beluga would require “significant manpower”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

She backs requests for the whales to be removed right away from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official turned down a proposal to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the request would have meant a ongoing life in confinement and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that belugas belong in the wild, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing approve an relocation that would prolong the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks indicate a broader misunderstanding of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities work to find a solution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of food for local populations.

A proposed refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received government approval, has been contentious. The planned site, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a permanent solution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the prospect of a sanctuary indicates a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a feasible plan in the coming months.

The project lead, director of the initiative, said the facility will simulate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|