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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a struggle between a defunct facility, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense discussion over their destiny often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the Canadian government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the authorities funds the expense of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and communal behavior point to they are highly cognitive creatures – something a former trainer observed directly.

Burgess spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a job that entailed earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so surprised by the subtleties and quirks in their dispositions. She cultivated a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with different personalities.

“Eve accepted me. The other demanded work,” she said. “They altered the way I understand relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales evolved against a context of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her time at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, died. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility attributes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say indicates the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The park did not operate to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly effects of the shutdown. “Concrete is falling apart from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and navigate with pieces in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not comment to a request for comment, but previously claimed: “The whales … obtain far better health care and around the clock care than any person in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in early March following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to put down. She said the facility thought particulars of the death were leaked to the media and she was fired not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left her and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s warning to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “considerable personnel”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

Burgess backs demands for the whales to be removed right away from the park, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In late September, the nation’s government official turned down a bid to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the request would have meant a continued existence in confinement and a return to performance for audiences,” the official wrote. “As society, we know that marine mammals are meant for the sea, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an relocation that would prolong the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments reflect a wider lack of awareness of the facts of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a solution, ideas have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a important part of nourishment for local populations.

A planned refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has shown to be highly debated. The planned location, which includes extensive space of protected cove, is not yet built. Supporters remain hopeful that it could in time represent a sustainable solution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the possibility of a sanctuary represents a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable plan in the near future.

Charles Vinick, head of the plan, said the site will replicate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales get from trainers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|