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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable little “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a disagreement between a shuttered park, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the intense debate over their fate often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who see them each day.

After the national authorities blocked the sale of the belugas to China, the controversial facility near the famous falls where they are kept warned to end their lives unless the authorities pays for the expense of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and communal behavior point to they are remarkably smart mammals – something Kristy Burgess learned first-hand.

Burgess spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that required building relationships of the marine predators.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so surprised by the subtleties and quirks in their characters. She formed a particular love for two female belugas with different personalities.

“Eve selected me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Each transformed the way I view bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s connection with the whales developed against a background of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, died. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility attributes to age-related causes, but which advocates say points to the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The facility did not operate to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes effects of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the pools because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and swim around with pieces in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not comment to a questionnaire, but in the past claimed: “The whales … receive far superior medical attention and 24/7 care than any person in the UK, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

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

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the facility’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any attempts to put down even a one beluga would require “significant staff”, vehicles and machinery.

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

Burgess backs demands for the whales to be transferred right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a proposal to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the application would have meant a perpetual life in confinement and a return to public entertainment,” the official commented. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals are meant for the sea, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience approve an relocation that would continue the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks reveal a more general incorrect perception of the realities of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials work to find a solution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A planned sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received government approval, has proven contentious. The future site, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain optimistic that it could in time represent a sustainable resolution for a number of the whales.

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

Different voices say the possibility of a protected habitat represents a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible approach in the coming months.

An official, leader of the initiative, said the facility will simulate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|