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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute small “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a tussle between a shuttered park, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their fate often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the national authorities disallowed the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are housed threatened to euthanize them unless the federal government pays for the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that demand, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, problem solving and social skills indicate they are remarkably smart animals – something a former trainer observed directly.

She spent several years as a beluga trainer, a role that entailed building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the subtleties and quirks in their dispositions. She formed a special affection for a pair of whales with contrasting natures.

“One whale chose me. The other demanded work,” she said. “They altered the way I perceive connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales evolved against a background of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her three years at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility links to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say points to the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The park did not operate to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not respond to a request for comment, but in the past asserted: “The whales … get far higher quality veterinary services and constant care than any human in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the park in recent months following the demise of Eos, an ailing beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the park believed particulars of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was fired soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and current and former trainers in despair. She says the park’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any plans to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “significant staff”, vehicles and specialized tools.

“There’s no way in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

She backs requests for the whales to be removed immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a proposal to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the application would have meant a continued situation in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that belugas should be in the sea, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing approve an relocation that would continue the situation these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks reflect a broader incorrect perception of the realities of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities struggle to find a solution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of food for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which has received regulatory clearance, has been most controversial. The prospective facility, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a long term answer for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the idea of a sanctuary reflects a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a viable plan in the short term.

An official, director of the sanctuary project, said the facility will mimic the cognitive activities and diet the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|