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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute small “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a struggle between a shuttered park, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated discussion over their future often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the Canadian government blocked the transfer of the belugas to China, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are held threatened to end their lives unless the authorities covers the expense of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that demand, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, problem solving and social skills point to they are highly cognitive creatures – something a former trainer observed personally.

She spent three years as a whale caretaker, a job that required building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so amazed by the details and unique traits in their personalities. She cultivated a special affection for two female belugas with contrasting temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Both altered the way I understand bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her three years at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, died. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say points to the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The park did not operate to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a inquiry, but in the past stated: “The whales … obtain far higher quality medical attention and around the clock attention than any human in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the park in the spring following the passing of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the facility thought information of the incident were shared to the media and she was released soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left her and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “immense manpower”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

She backs requests for the whales to be transferred promptly from the park, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a proposal to transfer the whales to China.

“Allowing the request would have meant a perpetual life in confinement and a return to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As the public, we know that marine mammals are meant for the ocean, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in good conscience approve an relocation that would continue the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks indicate a wider incorrect perception of the facts of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials struggle to find a answer, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A proposed protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has been contentious. The future location, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a sustainable answer for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the prospect of a refuge indicates a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a workable approach in the short term.

The project lead, head of the sanctuary project, said the location will mimic the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|