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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an charming little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a disagreement between a closed attraction, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the intense controversy over their future often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government blocked the transfer of the belugas to China, the controversial amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to euthanize them unless the federal government funds the expense of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that demand, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and communal behavior suggest they are highly cognitive creatures – something one caretaker learned personally.

Burgess spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a job that required gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the details and unique traits in their characters. She developed a particular love for two female belugas with contrasting personalities.

“Eve accepted me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Each altered the way I perceive bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales progressed against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her time at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the facility ascribes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say indicates the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The facility did not admit visitors to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly effects of the shutdown. “Structural materials is breaking off from the pools because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and move about with chunks in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but in the past asserted: “The whales … get far higher quality health care and constant care than any human in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in early March following the passing of Eos, an unwell beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the park believed particulars of the death were shared to the press and she was let go not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any plans to put down even a individual beluga would require “immense personnel”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

She supports demands for the whales to be transferred right away from the facility, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In recent months, the nation’s government official turned down a bid to transfer the whales to China.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a ongoing existence in captivity and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that marine mammals are meant for the wild, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience approve an transfer that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reveal a broader misunderstanding of the facts of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities attempt to find a solution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of food for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received regulatory clearance, has shown to be highly debated. The planned site, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain positive that it could eventually represent a sustainable answer for eight 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’ fate.

Different voices say the prospect of a sanctuary indicates a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a viable plan in the near future.

Charles Vinick, leader of the plan, said the facility will simulate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales get from specialists, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|