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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable little “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a struggle between a closed attraction, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense controversy over their destiny often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities prevented the sale of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept warned to end their lives unless the authorities pays for the upkeep of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and communal behavior point to they are highly cognitive animals – something one caretaker observed directly.

Burgess spent three years as a whale caretaker, a role that entailed earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

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

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the nuances and unique traits in their characters. She formed a deep bond for two female belugas with opposing personalities.

“One whale accepted me. The other required effort,” she said. “Each transformed the way I understand relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales evolved against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her time at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility ascribes to age-related causes, but which activists say points to the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The facility did not admit visitors to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly effects of the shutdown. “Concrete is deteriorating from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not comment to a inquiry, but in the past claimed: “The whales … get far better health care and around the clock attention than any individual in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an sick beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park believed particulars of the death were leaked to the news outlets and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any plans to put down even a one beluga would require “immense personnel”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess backs calls for the whales to be taken promptly from the park, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a request to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the request would have meant a continued life in captivity and a return to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As society, we know that marine mammals belong in the sea, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an export that would continue the situation these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks reflect a wider misunderstanding of the facts of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a solution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of food for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has been contentious. The prospective site, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a permanent solution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the idea of a protected habitat reflects a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a feasible plan in the short term.

Charles Vinick, head of the sanctuary project, said the facility will simulate the cognitive activities and diet the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|