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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable little “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a struggle between a shuttered park, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their fate often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the humans who see them each day.

After the national authorities disallowed the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near Niagara Falls where they are kept stated it would consider to end their lives unless the government funds the expense of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and social skills suggest they are deeply intelligent mammals – something Kristy Burgess learned directly.

She spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a job that required gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the beginning, 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 wonderful and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so surprised by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She formed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with different personalities.

“Eve chose me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Both altered the way I view relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s relationship with the whales progressed against a context of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her time at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the park ascribes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say points to the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not admit visitors to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the cessation. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and swim around with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not comment to a questionnaire, but previously asserted: “The whales … obtain far higher quality medical attention and 24/7 attention than any human in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in recent months following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the facility suspected details of the incident were shared to the news outlets and she was let go not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and staff members in despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any efforts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “immense personnel”, vehicles and machinery.

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

She supports calls for the whales to be transferred immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In recent months, Canada’s government official rejected a bid to export the whales to China.

“To approve 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 ocean, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience approve an relocation that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments reveal a wider lack of awareness of the facts of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities struggle to find a resolution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A planned protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has shown to be contentious. The prospective site, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Proponents remain positive that it could ultimately represent a sustainable answer for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the possibility of a refuge reflects a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible approach in the short term.

The project lead, head of the sanctuary project, said the site will simulate the mental engagement and diet the whales get from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|