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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable small “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a struggle between a shuttered park, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated discussion over their fate often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the humans who see them each day.

After the national authorities blocked the export of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are held warned to put them down unless the authorities covers the cost of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and social skills suggest they are highly cognitive creatures – something a former trainer observed directly.

She spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a role that involved gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so astounded by the subtleties and quirks in their characters. She formed a special affection for two female belugas with contrasting temperaments.

“Eve selected me. The other demanded work,” she said. “They changed the way I understand bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales progressed against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her three years at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, died. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the facility ascribes to natural mortality, but which advocates say indicates the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and navigate with fragments in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but previously claimed: “The whales … obtain far superior health care and 24/7 supervision than any individual in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the park in recent months following the passing of a beluga, an ailing beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park thought particulars of the incident were leaked to the media and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left her and other caretakers in despair. She says the park’s warning to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any efforts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “considerable staff”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess backs calls for the whales to be removed immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official rejected a request to transfer the whales to China.

“To approve the request would have meant a continued existence in confinement and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official commented. “As society, we know that belugas are meant for the sea, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an transfer that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements reflect a wider incorrect perception of the realities of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a answer, ideas have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for local populations.

A planned protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has proven most controversial. The planned location, which includes extensive space of protected cove, is not yet built. Advocates remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a sustainable answer for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

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

An official, director of the initiative, said the location will simulate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|