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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a struggle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated debate over their future often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities blocked the export of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are held stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the government funds the expense of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and communal behavior indicate they are remarkably smart animals – something Kristy Burgess discovered directly.

Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a position that entailed earning the trust of the marine predators.

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

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so astounded by the details and unique traits in their personalities. She cultivated a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing natures.

“One whale selected me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They transformed the way I view bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales developed against a background of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her time at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, died. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park links to age-related causes, but which advocates say indicates the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The facility did not operate to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the cessation. “Structural materials is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and navigate with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not respond to a request for comment, but previously claimed: “The whales … obtain far better health care and 24/7 supervision than any individual in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in recent months following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the park believed information of the incident were shared to the news outlets and she was released not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in anguish. She says the park’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any plans to put down even a one beluga would require “immense staff”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

Burgess advocates for calls for the whales to be transferred promptly from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official rejected a proposal to transfer the whales to China.

“Granting the application would have meant a perpetual situation in enclosure and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister wrote. “As society, we know that belugas are meant for the ocean, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience permit an transfer that would continue the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments reveal a broader misunderstanding of the facts of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As authorities work to find a answer, proposals have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of food for Indigenous peoples.

A planned refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received government approval, has shown to be highly debated. The future facility, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Proponents remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a sustainable solution for a number of the whales.

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

Others say the prospect of a protected habitat reflects a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable plan in the near future.

An official, head of the initiative, said the location will mimic the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales get from specialists, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|