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

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a struggle between a defunct facility, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their fate often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the national authorities blocked the sale of the belugas to China, the embattled attraction near the famous falls where they are housed warned to put them down unless the federal government funds the upkeep of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and communal behavior suggest they are remarkably smart creatures – something one caretaker learned directly.

Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a role that required gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so astounded by the details and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She formed a deep bond for a pair of whales with opposing personalities.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They transformed the way I understand bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

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

During her three years at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, died. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility links to expected lifespan, but which advocates say points to the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the closure. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but in the past asserted: “The whales … receive far better health care and 24/7 supervision than any individual in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in early March following the death of a beluga, an sick beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility thought details of the death were shared to the news outlets and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any plans to euthanize even a single beluga would require “considerable personnel”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

She backs demands for the whales to be transferred immediately from the facility, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a request to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a perpetual situation in captivity and a return to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that whales should be in the wild, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience approve an export that would prolong the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments reflect a more general lack of awareness of the circumstances of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a answer, suggestions have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A planned sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received regulatory clearance, has shown to be contentious. The future location, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a long term solution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the possibility of a protected habitat reflects a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a viable solution in the near future.

Charles Vinick, leader of the initiative, said the site will replicate the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|