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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled 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 ignores the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government prevented the export of the belugas to China, the controversial attraction near Niagara Falls where they are kept stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the federal government covers the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and social skills point to they are deeply intelligent mammals – something a former trainer observed personally.

She spent several years as a beluga trainer, a position that entailed earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She developed a deep bond for a pair of whales with opposing natures.

“One whale chose me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Both transformed the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales developed against a background of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her time at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say points to the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not admit visitors to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the cessation. “Concrete is falling apart from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and move about with fragments in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not respond to a questionnaire, but in the past asserted: “The whales … receive far superior medical attention and 24/7 supervision than any human in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in recent months following the demise of a beluga, an unwell beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected information of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was fired soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the park’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any efforts to put down even a individual beluga would require “considerable staff”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

She backs requests for the whales to be removed immediately from the park, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official denied a proposal to send the whales to China.

“To approve the request would have meant a perpetual life in captivity and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that belugas belong in the sea, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience permit an transfer that would continue the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements reveal a wider lack of awareness of the facts of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers struggle to find a solution, ideas have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a important part of sustenance for local populations.

A proposed refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received government approval, has shown to be contentious. The planned location, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain positive that it could ultimately represent a permanent answer for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the possibility of a protected habitat represents a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a feasible solution in the coming months.

The project lead, head of the plan, said the location will mimic the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|