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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a struggle between a defunct facility, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned debate over their destiny often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been carefully observed by the people who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities prevented the sale of the belugas to China, the embattled attraction near the famous falls where they are held stated it would consider to put them down unless the federal government pays for the cost of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and social skills indicate they are remarkably smart animals – something Kristy Burgess discovered first-hand.

She spent several years as a whale caretaker, a job that involved building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so astounded by the details and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She cultivated a special affection for two female belugas with contrasting temperaments.

“Eve selected me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “They altered the way I understand bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales evolved against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility links to natural mortality, but which advocates say points to the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the shutdown. “Concrete is falling apart from the pools because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and navigate with pieces in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not respond to a questionnaire, but in the past asserted: “The whales … receive far better veterinary services and around the clock care than any human in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in recent months following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the park believed particulars of the death were disclosed to the news outlets and she was fired not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and other caretakers in distress. She says the facility’s threat to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “considerable personnel”, vehicles and machinery.

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

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

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a request to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the request would have meant a ongoing life in confinement and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official commented. “As society, we know that whales should be in the wild, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience approve an transfer that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have endured.”

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

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers struggle to find a resolution, 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 important part of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A proposed sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received official endorsement, has been most controversial. The future facility, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a permanent solution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ fate.

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

An official, leader of the plan, said the facility will mimic the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|