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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable little “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a disagreement between a defunct facility, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the heated discussion over their destiny often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities prevented the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are housed threatened to put them down unless the government covers the upkeep of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and communal behavior point to they are remarkably smart creatures – something a former trainer observed first-hand.

She spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a role that involved gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the details and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She developed a particular love for a pair of whales with different temperaments.

“One whale selected me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Both altered the way I perceive connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales progressed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her time at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility attributes to natural mortality, but which advocates say indicates the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The park did not admit visitors to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the closure. “Concrete is breaking off from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but in the past stated: “The whales … obtain far better medical attention and constant care than any individual in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in early March following the demise of a beluga, an unwell beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the facility thought information of the death were leaked to the press and she was released soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the park’s warning to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any attempts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “significant staff”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

She advocates for calls for the whales to be taken promptly from the park, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In late September, Canada’s government official rejected a bid to send the whales to China.

“To approve the request would have meant a continued existence in confinement and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As society, we know that belugas are meant for the ocean, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience permit an relocation that would prolong the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements reflect a wider misunderstanding of the realities of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a resolution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a key source of food for Inuit communities.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has shown to be contentious. The planned location, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain positive that it could in time represent a long term answer for a number of the whales.

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

Others say the idea of a refuge represents a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible plan in the short term.

An official, head of the sanctuary project, said the location will mimic the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|