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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute little “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a disagreement between a closed attraction, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

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

After the national authorities disallowed the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled attraction near Niagara Falls where they are housed stated it would consider to end their lives unless the government funds the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and group interactions suggest they are highly cognitive mammals – something Kristy Burgess observed personally.

Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a job that entailed building relationships of the marine predators.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so surprised by the details and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She formed a special affection for a pair of whales with different temperaments.

“Eve chose me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “They transformed the way I perceive bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s relationship with the whales progressed against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her three years at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, died. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park links to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say indicates the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The park did not open to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the cessation. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and navigate with pieces in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not comment to a inquiry, but previously claimed: “The whales … receive far superior medical attention and constant attention than any human in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the park in the spring following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected details of the incident were disclosed to the press and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left her and other caretakers in anguish. She says the park’s warning to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any efforts to put down even a single beluga would require “immense staff”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

Burgess supports calls for the whales to be removed right away from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In recent months, the nation’s government official turned down a proposal to send the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a continued life in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As society, we know that belugas should be in the ocean, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience authorize an transfer that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments indicate a more general misunderstanding of the circumstances of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers attempt to find a answer, ideas have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a key source of food for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has shown to be most controversial. The future facility, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a sustainable solution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the prospect of a refuge represents a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a viable plan in the short term.

The project lead, head of the sanctuary project, said the facility will simulate the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|