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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute small “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a disagreement between a defunct facility, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned controversy over their fate often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the federal government disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial facility near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to put them down unless the authorities pays for the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and communal behavior point to they are highly cognitive creatures – something a former trainer discovered directly.

Burgess spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that involved earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Building up 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. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the nuances and quirks in their personalities. She developed a deep bond for two female belugas with different temperaments.

“One whale chose me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “They changed the way I view bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales progressed against a background of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her tenure at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, died. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the park ascribes to age-related causes, but which activists say reflects the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The facility did not operate to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the shutdown. “Structural materials is falling apart from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not comment to a inquiry, but previously claimed: “The whales … get far superior medical attention and around the clock supervision than any human in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess 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 facility thought particulars of the incident were leaked to the press and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left her and current and former trainers in distress. She says the park’s warning to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any plans to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “immense staff”, vehicles and machinery.

“It cannot happen in hell the staff would ever do it,” she said.

She backs calls for the whales to be transferred right away from the park, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a request to export the whales to China.

“Granting the application would have meant a perpetual existence in confinement and a return to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As society, we know that belugas should be in the sea, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience approve an transfer that would prolong the situation these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks reveal a more general misunderstanding of the realities of existence 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. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities attempt to find a solution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of nourishment for local populations.

A planned refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received regulatory clearance, has been highly debated. The planned site, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Advocates remain positive that it could in time represent a long term answer for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the possibility of a sanctuary indicates a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable approach in the short term.

Charles Vinick, leader of the plan, said the facility will replicate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales get from specialists, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|