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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute small “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

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

But those working directly with the whales say the intense controversy over their destiny often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the federal government prevented the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near Niagara Falls where they are housed stated it would consider to end their lives unless the federal government pays for the expense of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and communal behavior suggest they are deeply intelligent animals – something a former trainer learned directly.

She spent several years as a beluga trainer, a position that involved building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over 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 exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so amazed by the subtleties and quirks in their personalities. She developed a particular love for two female belugas with contrasting temperaments.

“Eve chose me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Each changed the way I perceive bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales developed against a context of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility attributes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say reflects the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The facility did not admit visitors to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the shutdown. “Structural materials is falling apart from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and navigate with pieces in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not respond to a questionnaire, but earlier claimed: “The whales … obtain far superior health care and 24/7 attention than any human in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in early March following the passing of a beluga, an sick beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the park believed details of the incident were shared to the news outlets and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the park’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any efforts to put down even a individual beluga would require “immense staff”, trucks and machinery.

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

She advocates for requests for the whales to be removed right away from the park, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

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

“Allowing the request would have meant a ongoing life in confinement and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister wrote. “As society, we know that whales should be in the ocean, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing approve an export that would prolong the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments indicate a wider misunderstanding of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities attempt to find a resolution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of food for Indigenous peoples.

A planned protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received government approval, has proven highly debated. The prospective site, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Supporters remain positive that it could eventually represent a sustainable resolution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the idea of a refuge represents a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable solution in the coming months.

An official, director of the plan, said the facility will simulate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|