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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable small “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a disagreement between a closed attraction, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the heated controversy over their future often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities disallowed the transfer of the belugas to China, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are housed threatened to euthanize them unless the authorities covers the expense of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that demand, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and group interactions suggest they are remarkably smart mammals – something a former trainer observed directly.

She spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that entailed gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. 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 astounded by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She developed a particular love for a pair of whales with opposing temperaments.

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

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales developed against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her time at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the facility links to natural mortality, but which campaigners say indicates the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The facility did not open to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly effects of the cessation. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and move about with chunks in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not reply to a questionnaire, but in the past asserted: “The whales … get far higher quality veterinary services and around the clock care than any human in the UK, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an ailing beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the park believed details of the incident were shared to the news outlets and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the park’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any efforts to put down even a single beluga would require “immense manpower”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

Burgess supports calls for the whales to be taken right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official rejected a proposal to send the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a perpetual life in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister commented. “As society, we know that belugas belong in the wild, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience authorize an transfer that would continue the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reveal a more general misunderstanding of the facts of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities struggle to find a resolution, ideas have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of nourishment for local populations.

A planned sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has shown to be highly debated. The prospective location, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain positive that it could in time represent a sustainable solution 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 “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the prospect of a protected habitat represents a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a viable approach in the near future.

The project lead, head of the plan, said the facility will simulate the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|