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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute small “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a disagreement between a shuttered park, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their future often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the national authorities blocked the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are housed warned to euthanize them unless the authorities funds the expense of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and communal behavior point to they are highly cognitive mammals – something one caretaker discovered personally.

Burgess spent several years as a whale caretaker, a role that entailed gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so astounded by the details and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She cultivated a special affection for two female belugas with contrasting personalities.

“One whale chose me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “They altered the way I view connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales evolved against a context of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, died. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the facility ascribes to natural mortality, but which activists say points to the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

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

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but earlier asserted: “The whales … get far superior health care and around the clock attention than any human in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an ailing beluga the employees had to put down. She said the facility thought particulars of the incident were leaked to the media and she was let go not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and staff members in despair. She says the park’s warning to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any plans to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “significant personnel”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

She supports demands for the whales to be removed immediately from the park, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a bid to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a perpetual situation in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that belugas should be in the wild, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in good conscience permit an transfer that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements reflect a broader incorrect perception of the circumstances of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers work to find a resolution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of food for local populations.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which now received government approval, has proven contentious. The prospective site, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Supporters remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a sustainable solution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the possibility of a protected habitat reflects a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable solution in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, director of the sanctuary project, said the location will mimic the cognitive activities and diet the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|