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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute small “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a disagreement between a closed attraction, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated debate over their future often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the federal government blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling facility near the famous falls where they are housed threatened to end their lives unless the federal government funds the cost of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and communal behavior indicate they are remarkably smart animals – something one caretaker learned directly.

Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a job that entailed 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 shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so astounded by the details and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She cultivated a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with different personalities.

“One whale chose me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Each changed the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales evolved against a context of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her three years at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the facility ascribes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say reflects the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The facility did not admit visitors to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the pools because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not respond to a request for comment, but previously stated: “The whales … obtain far superior medical attention and around the clock care than any individual in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in recent months following the demise of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the park believed particulars of the incident were shared to the news outlets and she was released soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s threat to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any efforts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “significant staff”, equipment and heavy equipment.

“It’s impossible in hell the staff would ever do it,” she said.

She supports requests for the whales to be removed promptly from the park, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official rejected a request to send the whales to China.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a ongoing existence in confinement and a return to display for amusement,” the official commented. “As Canadians, we know that belugas belong in the wild, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing approve an transfer that would prolong the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks indicate a more general misunderstanding of the circumstances of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a solution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of sustenance for local populations.

A proposed protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has shown to be contentious. The planned location, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, is not yet built. Proponents remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a long term resolution for eight of the whales.

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

Some experts say the prospect of a sanctuary indicates a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a viable solution in the near future.

An official, director of the plan, said the location will simulate the mental engagement and diet the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|