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

A group of thirty captive 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 working directly with the whales say the impassioned controversy over their future often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the people who see them each day.

After the national authorities prevented the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial facility near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to put them down unless the government pays for the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and social skills indicate they are remarkably smart animals – something a former trainer discovered personally.

Burgess spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that entailed building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the subtleties and unique traits in their dispositions. She developed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Each altered the way I view bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales progressed against a background of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a toll which the park links to natural mortality, but which advocates say indicates the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The facility did not open to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly effects of the shutdown. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and swim around with fragments in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but earlier claimed: “The whales … obtain far superior health care and 24/7 attention than any individual in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected information of the incident were disclosed to the press and she was let go not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and other caretakers in distress. She says the park’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any attempts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “significant manpower”, trucks and machinery.

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

Burgess advocates for demands for the whales to be removed promptly from the facility, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

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

“To approve the proposal would have meant a ongoing existence in confinement and a return to performance for audiences,” the official wrote. “As society, we know that whales are meant for the wild, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience authorize an transfer that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have endured.”

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

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a solution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A planned refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received regulatory clearance, has proven contentious. The prospective facility, which includes extensive space of protected cove, is not yet built. Supporters remain positive that it could in time represent a permanent resolution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the possibility of a sanctuary reflects a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible approach in the coming months.

An official, head of the initiative, said the site will replicate the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|