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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a disagreement between a shuttered park, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

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

After the Canadian government prevented the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are held threatened to end their lives unless the authorities covers the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and communal behavior indicate they are remarkably smart creatures – something one caretaker learned first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a job that required gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so surprised by the nuances and quirks in their dispositions. She formed a deep bond for two female belugas with different temperaments.

“One whale selected me. The other demanded work,” she said. “They changed the way I perceive relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales evolved against a background of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility attributes to natural mortality, but which activists say indicates the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The facility did not operate to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the shutdown. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and swim around with pieces in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not respond to a questionnaire, but previously stated: “The whales … get far better medical attention and constant care than any person in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in recent months following the passing of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park suspected information of the death were disclosed to the press and she was released shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s threat to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any plans to put down even a individual beluga would require “significant personnel”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

Burgess advocates for calls for the whales to be transferred promptly from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a request to send the whales to China.

“Allowing the application would have meant a perpetual life in captivity and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister stated. “As the public, we know that belugas should be in the sea, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience permit an relocation that would prolong the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reflect a wider lack of awareness of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a resolution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a important part of sustenance for local populations.

A proposed sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has proven most controversial. The future location, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a sustainable resolution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the idea of a protected habitat indicates a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible plan in the coming months.

An official, head of the initiative, said the location will replicate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|