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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a disagreement between a defunct facility, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated discussion over their future often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the federal government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are housed threatened to put them down unless the government pays for the expense of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that request, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and communal behavior point to they are deeply intelligent mammals – something one caretaker learned first-hand.

She spent several years as a beluga trainer, a position that required earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

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

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the subtleties and unique traits in their personalities. She developed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing temperaments.

“One whale accepted me. The other demanded work,” she said. “They changed the way I perceive connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s relationship with the whales evolved against a context of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, died. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park links to natural mortality, but which campaigners say indicates the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The facility did not operate to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly consequences of the cessation. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and swim around with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not reply to a request for comment, but in the past claimed: “The whales … obtain far better medical attention and around the clock supervision than any human in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the park in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the park believed details of the incident were shared to the media and she was released soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and staff members in despair. She says the facility’s threat to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any attempts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “immense manpower”, vehicles and machinery.

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

Burgess advocates for demands for the whales to be transferred right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

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

“Granting the proposal would have meant a perpetual life in enclosure and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister stated. “As the public, we know that whales belong in the wild, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience permit an transfer that would prolong the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reflect a more general incorrect perception of the circumstances of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers struggle to find a solution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A suggested protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received government approval, has proven contentious. The future location, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain positive that it could in time represent a sustainable answer for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the idea of a sanctuary indicates a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a viable solution in the short term.

An official, leader of the sanctuary project, said the site will replicate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|