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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated discussion over their fate often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the federal government blocked the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling attraction near Niagara Falls where they are kept stated it would consider to end their lives unless the authorities pays for the upkeep of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and social skills suggest they are deeply intelligent mammals – something a former trainer learned personally.

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

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so surprised by the nuances and quirks in their personalities. She cultivated a particular love for two female belugas with opposing natures.

“One whale accepted me. The other required effort,” she said. “Each transformed the way I perceive connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales progressed against a context of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her tenure at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, died. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility links to natural mortality, but which activists say points to the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The park did not operate to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand results of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and move about with fragments in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but previously asserted: “The whales … receive far superior medical attention and around the clock care than any human in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in early March following the demise of Eos, an ailing beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility thought details of the incident were disclosed to the press and she was fired soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and current and former trainers in distress. She says the park’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any efforts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “immense staff”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess supports calls for the whales to be removed immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In late September, the nation’s government official denied a proposal to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the application would have meant a continued life in captivity and a return to display for amusement,” the official wrote. “As the public, we know that whales are meant for the sea, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience approve an export that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements reflect a more general misunderstanding of the realities of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers attempt to find a answer, suggestions have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which has received regulatory clearance, has proven highly debated. The planned site, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain positive that it could eventually represent a sustainable answer for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Others say the possibility of a sanctuary indicates a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable plan in the near future.

An official, leader of the sanctuary project, said the facility will simulate the cognitive activities and diet the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|