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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming little “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a struggle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated controversy over their future often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the people who work with them regularly.

After the federal government blocked the export of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are housed stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the federal government pays for the cost of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, problem solving and social skills point to they are highly cognitive animals – something a former trainer observed first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a position that involved earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so amazed by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She developed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting natures.

“Eve selected me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Both changed the way I perceive connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales evolved against a context of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her tenure at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, died. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the park attributes to age-related causes, but which activists say indicates the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not operate to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the shutdown. “Structural materials is breaking off from the pools because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and swim around with chunks in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not comment to a inquiry, but earlier asserted: “The whales … obtain far better medical attention and around the clock supervision than any human in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in early March following the death of a beluga, an sick beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility believed information of the death were shared to the press and she was fired not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and other caretakers in anguish. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any plans to put down even a single beluga would require “considerable personnel”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

Burgess supports calls for the whales to be removed immediately from the facility, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official turned down a request to export the whales to China.

“Allowing the application would have meant a ongoing life in captivity and a return to public entertainment,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that belugas are meant for the sea, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience permit an export that would prolong the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks reveal a broader lack of awareness of the realities of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a answer, ideas have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a key source of food for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has been most controversial. The planned location, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a permanent answer for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the possibility of a protected habitat represents a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible solution in the coming months.

An official, leader of the sanctuary project, said the location will replicate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|