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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga 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 closed attraction, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned controversy over their destiny often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the people who see them each day.

After the Canadian government blocked the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are kept stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the federal government covers the cost of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and group interactions point to they are highly cognitive creatures – something a former trainer observed personally.

She spent three years as a beluga trainer, a position that required earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the details and unique traits in their characters. She developed a deep bond for two female belugas with opposing temperaments.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Each changed the way I understand relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales progressed against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her tenure at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, died. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which activists say points to the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The facility did not admit visitors to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the shutdown. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and swim around with pieces in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not comment to a questionnaire, but in the past asserted: “The whales … get far superior veterinary services and around the clock care than any person in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the employees had to put down. She said the facility thought details of the death were shared to the press and she was released shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and current and former trainers in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any attempts to put down even a single beluga would require “significant staff”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

She backs demands for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official turned down a proposal to transfer the whales to China.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a ongoing situation in captivity and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As Canadians, we know that belugas should be in the ocean, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in good conscience authorize an relocation that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reflect a wider lack of awareness of the circumstances of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a resolution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of food for local populations.

A planned sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has shown to be most controversial. The planned location, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain positive that it could eventually represent a permanent solution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Others say the idea of a refuge reflects a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable plan in the coming months.

The project lead, head of the initiative, said the facility will mimic the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|