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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a disagreement between a defunct facility, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned controversy over their fate often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the federal government disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to end their lives unless the government funds the expense of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and social skills suggest they are deeply intelligent animals – something Kristy Burgess observed first-hand.

Burgess spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that involved gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Building up those connections 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 trusting with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the details and unique traits in their characters. She cultivated a deep bond for two female belugas with contrasting natures.

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

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales progressed against a context of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her time at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, died. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a toll which the park links to natural mortality, but which activists say points to the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The facility did not open to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the shutdown. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and swim around with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not reply to a request for comment, but earlier asserted: “The whales … receive far higher quality veterinary services and constant care than any person in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in early March following the passing of a beluga, an ailing beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected particulars of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was released not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left her and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s warning to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “considerable staff”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess backs calls for the whales to be transferred immediately from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a request to send the whales to China.

“Granting the request would have meant a continued existence in captivity and a return to display for amusement,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that belugas belong in the wild, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing approve an transfer that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks indicate a more general lack of awareness of the circumstances of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers struggle to find a answer, 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 natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for local populations.

A suggested protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has proven most controversial. The planned facility, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain optimistic that it could in time represent a long term answer for eight of the whales.

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

Others say the idea of a refuge represents a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a feasible approach in the short term.

An official, head of the sanctuary project, said the facility will replicate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales get from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|