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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute small “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a disagreement between a shuttered park, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the intense debate over their future often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who see them each day.

After the national authorities blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling facility near Niagara Falls where they are housed warned to euthanize them unless the government pays for the upkeep of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and communal behavior point to they are deeply intelligent creatures – something one caretaker discovered personally.

She spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that entailed building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She formed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with different natures.

“Eve selected me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Both changed the way I understand relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

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

During her tenure at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the facility attributes to natural mortality, but which advocates say points to the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not admit visitors to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the shutdown. “Concrete is falling apart from the tanks 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 heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not comment to a inquiry, but previously stated: “The whales … obtain far superior health care and 24/7 attention than any human in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the park in the spring following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected information of the incident were shared to the press and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the park’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any attempts to put down even a individual beluga would require “immense manpower”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

Burgess supports calls for the whales to be taken promptly from the park, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a proposal to send the whales to China.

“Granting the request would have meant a ongoing existence in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that marine mammals should be in the wild, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing permit an relocation that would prolong the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks reflect a more general lack of awareness of the realities of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities work to find a resolution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A planned sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received government approval, has proven highly debated. The planned location, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Proponents remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a sustainable solution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the possibility of a protected habitat indicates a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a workable solution in the short term.

An official, head of the sanctuary project, said the facility will replicate the cognitive activities and diet the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|