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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a tussle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned debate over their future often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who see them each day.

After the national authorities prevented the sale of the belugas to China, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are housed warned to end their lives unless the federal government funds the upkeep of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that demand, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and communal behavior point to they are deeply intelligent mammals – something a former trainer discovered directly.

She spent three years as a whale caretaker, a job that entailed earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so amazed by the nuances and unique traits in their dispositions. She cultivated a deep bond for two female belugas with different natures.

“Eve selected me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Each altered the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales progressed against a context of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her three years at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the facility attributes to natural mortality, but which advocates say points to the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not operate to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the cessation. “Structural materials is breaking off from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and move about with chunks in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not reply to a questionnaire, but earlier stated: “The whales … receive far superior health care and around the clock care than any human in the Britain, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in the spring following the demise of a beluga, an sick beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the park believed particulars of the death were leaked to the news outlets and she was released not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and other caretakers in distress. She says the facility’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any plans to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “considerable manpower”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

She backs demands for the whales to be taken right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a request to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a continued life in captivity and a return to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As the public, we know that belugas belong in the sea, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an export that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reflect a broader lack of awareness of the realities of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As authorities work to find a answer, proposals have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A planned refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has proven contentious. The planned location, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Proponents remain positive that it could in time represent a permanent solution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the possibility of a protected habitat reflects a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible approach in the coming months.

An official, head of the sanctuary project, said the location will simulate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|