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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 very loyal companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a tussle between a closed attraction, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the intense controversy over their fate often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been carefully observed by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the federal government blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are housed stated it would consider to end their lives unless the federal government pays for the cost of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and group interactions point to they are highly cognitive animals – something one caretaker discovered personally.

She spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that required gaining confidence of the marine predators.

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

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so amazed by the subtleties and unique traits in their personalities. She cultivated a special affection for a pair of whales with opposing personalities.

“One whale chose me. The other required effort,” she said. “They transformed the way I perceive connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales developed against a background of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park attributes to natural mortality, but which advocates say points to the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not operate to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly effects of the cessation. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and navigate with fragments in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but in the past stated: “The whales … get far better medical attention and around the clock care than any person in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in the spring following the death of Eos, an sick beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the facility thought particulars of the death were shared to the news outlets and she was released not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left her and current and former trainers in distress. She says the facility’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “considerable manpower”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

She backs calls for the whales to be removed right away from the facility, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

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

“Granting the request would have meant a ongoing existence in confinement and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that whales belong in the sea, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience approve an relocation that would prolong the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments reflect a more general misunderstanding of the realities of life for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers struggle to find a solution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of food for local populations.

A suggested sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received government approval, has proven highly debated. The planned site, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Supporters remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a long term resolution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the possibility of a protected habitat indicates a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a feasible solution in the short term.

An official, leader of the plan, said the site will replicate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|