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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming small “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

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

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their fate often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government prevented the sale of the belugas to China, the embattled attraction near Niagara Falls where they are housed warned to end their lives unless the authorities funds the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, problem solving and communal behavior indicate they are remarkably smart creatures – something Kristy Burgess observed first-hand.

She spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a role that required gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the subtleties and unique traits in their characters. She formed a particular love for two female belugas with contrasting personalities.

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

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the park links to natural mortality, but which activists say reflects the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The facility did not operate to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly effects of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the pools because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and navigate with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not respond to a inquiry, but in the past claimed: “The whales … receive far superior medical attention and 24/7 attention than any human in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the park in recent months following the death of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park thought details of the incident were shared to the news outlets and she was let go soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left her and current and former trainers in distress. She says the park’s threat to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any efforts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “considerable personnel”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

Burgess supports requests for the whales to be transferred immediately from the park, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a bid to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the application would have meant a continued existence in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals are meant for the ocean, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience authorize an export that would continue the situation these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements reveal a wider misunderstanding of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials struggle to find a resolution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for local populations.

A planned sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has proven most controversial. The future facility, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Proponents remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a permanent solution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the possibility of a refuge represents a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable plan in the coming months.

The project lead, director of the plan, said the site will mimic the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|