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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a tussle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated debate over their future often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities disallowed the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled attraction near Niagara Falls where they are kept warned to end their lives unless the federal government covers the expense of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and communal behavior point to they are highly cognitive mammals – something Kristy Burgess observed directly.

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

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the details and quirks in their personalities. She formed a special affection for a pair of whales with contrasting temperaments.

“One whale selected me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Both changed the way I understand bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s connection with the whales progressed against a background of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the park links to age-related causes, but which advocates say points to the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not open to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the shutdown. “Concrete is deteriorating from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and swim around with fragments in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not comment to a inquiry, but in the past asserted: “The whales … receive far better medical attention and around the clock attention than any human in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the park in recent months following the death of a beluga, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the park suspected information of the death were leaked to the news outlets and she was released soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the park’s threat to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any efforts to put down even a one beluga would require “considerable staff”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

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

In the autumn, Canada’s government official turned down a request to export the whales to China.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a perpetual situation in confinement and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that whales belong in the wild, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience approve an transfer that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks reflect a wider lack of awareness of the circumstances of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a resolution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of food for local populations.

A suggested sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received regulatory clearance, has shown to be highly debated. The future facility, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain positive that it could eventually represent a long term resolution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the possibility of a sanctuary represents a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable approach in the short term.

An official, head of the sanctuary project, said the location will replicate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales get from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|