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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute little “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a tussle between a defunct facility, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned controversy over their destiny often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after growing up 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 a foreign facility, the embattled facility near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the federal government pays for the cost of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that request, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and social skills point to they are remarkably smart animals – something Kristy Burgess discovered personally.

Burgess spent three years as a whale caretaker, a role that entailed earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the nuances and quirks in their dispositions. She cultivated a particular love for a pair of whales with different personalities.

“One whale accepted me. The other required effort,” she said. “Each changed the way I view bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales developed against a context of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park links to age-related causes, but which activists say points to the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The facility did not open to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the cessation. “Concrete is falling apart from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not respond to a inquiry, but previously claimed: “The whales … get far higher quality health care and around the clock attention than any person in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in the spring following the passing of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the park believed information of the death were shared to the press and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in distress. She says the facility’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any efforts to put down even a single beluga would require “significant manpower”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

She supports demands for the whales to be transferred right away from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a bid to export the whales to China.

“To approve the request would have meant a continued existence in captivity and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals are meant for the wild, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing authorize an export that would prolong the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s statements reflect a wider lack of awareness of the circumstances of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers struggle to find a answer, proposals have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of food for local populations.

A planned sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has shown to be most controversial. The planned facility, which includes a large area of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a sustainable answer for eight of the whales.

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

Different voices say the prospect of a sanctuary reflects a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a workable solution in the short term.

Charles Vinick, head of the sanctuary project, said the facility will simulate the cognitive activities and diet the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|