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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 guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a disagreement between a closed attraction, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense controversy over their future often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the Canadian government disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling amusement park near the famous falls where they are held stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the authorities funds the expense of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and communal behavior point to they are remarkably smart mammals – something a former trainer discovered directly.

She spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a job that required gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Building up those bonds 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 reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the subtleties and unique traits in their personalities. She developed a special affection for a pair of whales with opposing personalities.

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

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

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

During her three years at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the facility ascribes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say points to the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The park did not operate to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand results of the shutdown. “Concrete is breaking off from the pools because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and swim around with fragments in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not respond to a inquiry, but previously stated: “The whales … obtain far superior medical attention and 24/7 care than any person in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in recent months following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the park believed details of the death were leaked to the news outlets and she was released shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the park’s warning to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any efforts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “significant personnel”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

She backs requests for the whales to be transferred promptly from the park, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

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

“To approve the application would have meant a perpetual situation in enclosure and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official stated. “As the public, we know that belugas are meant for the sea, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in good conscience authorize an relocation that would continue the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

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

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities work to find a resolution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of food for Inuit communities.

A proposed sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which now received regulatory clearance, has proven most controversial. The prospective location, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a permanent solution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the idea of a refuge reflects a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a workable approach in the coming months.

The project lead, director of the sanctuary project, said the location will simulate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|