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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute little “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a struggle between a shuttered park, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense discussion over their destiny often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the federal government prevented the transfer of the belugas to China, the controversial attraction near Niagara Falls where they are housed stated it would consider to put them down unless the government funds the expense of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and group interactions point to they are remarkably smart creatures – something one caretaker discovered directly.

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

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She developed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with different personalities.

“Eve selected me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Both altered the way I view bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her three years at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park ascribes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say indicates the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The park did not admit visitors to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the closure. “Structural materials is breaking off from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and navigate with pieces in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not reply to a request for comment, but previously claimed: “The whales … receive far higher quality medical attention and 24/7 supervision than any individual in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in the spring following the demise of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the park believed particulars of the incident were leaked to the news outlets and she was released soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s threat to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any efforts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “significant manpower”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

Burgess advocates for demands for the whales to be taken promptly from the park, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In late September, the nation’s government official denied a bid to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the application would have meant a perpetual situation in captivity and a return to display for amusement,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that belugas are meant for the ocean, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience approve an relocation that would continue the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks reflect a broader misunderstanding of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials attempt to find a answer, proposals have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A proposed refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received official endorsement, has shown to be highly debated. The planned facility, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a sustainable solution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the possibility of a sanctuary reflects a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a viable solution in the coming months.

An official, director of the sanctuary project, said the site will replicate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|