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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming little “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a tussle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense controversy over their future often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the federal government disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near Niagara Falls where they are housed stated it would consider to put them down unless the federal government funds the expense of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that demand, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and communal behavior suggest they are deeply intelligent animals – something a former trainer learned first-hand.

She spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a job that required earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so astounded by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She cultivated a deep bond for a pair of whales with opposing temperaments.

“One whale chose me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Both transformed the way I perceive connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales progressed against a background of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her time at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, died. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility links to natural mortality, but which activists say points to the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The park did not open to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly effects of the shutdown. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and swim around with fragments in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not reply to a inquiry, but earlier claimed: “The whales … get far superior medical attention and around the clock supervision than any individual in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in recent months following the demise of a beluga, an sick beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the park suspected information of the incident were shared to the news outlets and she was released shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future 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 “extremely difficult” task, adding any plans to put down even a individual beluga would require “significant personnel”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

Burgess supports calls for the whales to be taken promptly from the facility, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a request to send the whales to China.

“Allowing the request would have meant a perpetual existence in captivity and a return to performance for audiences,” the official wrote. “As the public, we know that marine mammals should be in the wild, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience approve an relocation that would prolong the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks reveal a wider incorrect perception of the facts of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a resolution, proposals have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of sustenance for local populations.

A proposed sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has proven highly debated. The prospective location, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Advocates remain optimistic that it could in time represent a sustainable resolution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the prospect of a refuge reflects a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible approach in the near future.

Charles Vinick, director of the plan, said the site will replicate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|