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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an charming small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a struggle between a defunct facility, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense debate over their fate often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the federal government prevented the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are held warned to put them down unless the federal government funds the upkeep of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and social skills point to they are deeply intelligent creatures – something one caretaker observed directly.

She spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a job that required building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the start, 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 wonderful and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so astounded by the details and unique traits in their dispositions. She formed a deep bond for a pair of whales with different natures.

“Eve selected me. The other required effort,” she said. “Both changed the way I view bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility attributes to age-related causes, but which advocates say indicates the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The park did not admit visitors to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand results of the cessation. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and navigate with pieces in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not comment to a request for comment, but earlier claimed: “The whales … get far superior health care and around the clock care than any individual in the UK, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in early March following the passing of a beluga, an sick 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 fired not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any attempts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “immense personnel”, equipment and machinery.

“There’s no way in hell the staff would ever do it,” she said.

She advocates for calls for the whales to be removed promptly from the park, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a bid to send the whales to China.

“To approve the request would have meant a continued situation in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that marine mammals should be in the sea, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in good conscience authorize an relocation that would prolong the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks reflect a broader lack of awareness of the facts of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a answer, proposals have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of food for local populations.

A proposed refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received government approval, has proven most controversial. The future location, which includes a large area of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain positive that it could eventually represent a sustainable resolution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the prospect of a refuge indicates a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a workable plan in the coming months.

An official, leader of the initiative, said the location will simulate the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|