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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a shuttered park, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense controversy over their destiny often ignores the nuances 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 Canadian government blocked the export of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to end their lives unless the federal government pays for the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and group interactions suggest they are deeply intelligent creatures – something a former trainer discovered first-hand.

She spent three years as a whale caretaker, a position that entailed building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so surprised by the details and quirks in their characters. She developed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with different temperaments.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “They transformed the way I understand relationships.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s interaction with the whales developed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her time at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the facility links to age-related causes, but which activists say reflects the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The facility did not operate 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 grab fragments and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not respond to a request for comment, but previously asserted: “The whales … get far better health care and around the clock attention than any human in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in early March following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park believed information of the incident were shared to the press and she was fired not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s threat to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any plans to euthanize even a single beluga would require “immense manpower”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

Burgess advocates for demands for the whales to be transferred promptly from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

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

“Granting the application would have meant a continued life in confinement and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As society, we know that whales belong in the ocean, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an export that would prolong the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reveal a broader incorrect perception of the realities of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a solution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of sustenance for local populations.

A suggested refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which now received official endorsement, has been highly debated. The prospective facility, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Supporters remain positive that it could in time represent a permanent resolution 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 “only an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Others say the prospect of a protected habitat represents a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a workable plan in the coming months.

The project lead, director of the plan, said the location will simulate the cognitive activities and diet the whales get from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|