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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an charming small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a tussle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned controversy over their destiny often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities disallowed the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are held stated it would consider to put them down unless the authorities funds the cost of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and group interactions suggest they are deeply intelligent animals – something a former trainer learned directly.

She spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a job that entailed earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so surprised by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She cultivated a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting natures.

“One whale chose me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Both changed the way I understand relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales developed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her time at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, died. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the park links to expected lifespan, but which advocates say points to the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The facility did not open to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the shutdown. “Structural materials is falling apart from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and navigate with pieces in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but previously stated: “The whales … get far higher quality medical attention and 24/7 supervision than any person in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in early March following the demise of a beluga, an ailing beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the park suspected information of the death were shared to the media and she was released not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and current and former trainers in despair. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any efforts to put down even a individual beluga would require “considerable manpower”, equipment and machinery.

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

She supports demands for the whales to be removed promptly from the park, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

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

“Allowing the application would have meant a perpetual existence in enclosure and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister stated. “As society, we know that marine mammals belong in the sea, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in good conscience permit an relocation that would prolong the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements reveal a wider lack of awareness of the circumstances of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society 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 realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials attempt to find a solution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a important part of food for Inuit communities.

A planned sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which now received government approval, has been contentious. The future site, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a sustainable answer for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the prospect of a sanctuary reflects a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a viable solution in the short term.

Charles Vinick, leader of the sanctuary project, said the facility will mimic the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|