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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute little “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a disagreement between a defunct facility, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense controversy over their destiny often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the federal government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to end their lives unless the federal government covers the upkeep of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that demand, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and communal behavior point to they are highly cognitive animals – something one caretaker discovered first-hand.

Burgess spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that involved building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so surprised by the subtleties and quirks in their characters. She cultivated a deep bond for a pair of whales with different personalities.

“Eve selected me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Each transformed the way I understand relationships.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales evolved against a context of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her three years at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the facility attributes to natural mortality, but which activists say points to the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The facility did not operate to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and swim around with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not reply to a questionnaire, but earlier claimed: “The whales … obtain far better veterinary services and constant supervision than any individual in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility believed information of the death were disclosed to the press and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left her and other caretakers in anguish. She says the park’s warning to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any plans to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “immense personnel”, vehicles and machinery.

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

She backs calls for the whales to be taken right away from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In recent months, the nation’s government official denied a request to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a ongoing existence in enclosure and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister commented. “As society, we know that marine mammals belong in the wild, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience permit an export that would continue the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

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 public needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a resolution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A planned protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received official endorsement, has proven highly debated. The planned facility, which includes a large area of protected cove, is not yet built. Supporters remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a permanent solution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

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

The project lead, director of the plan, said the site will simulate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|