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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an charming little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a struggle between a shuttered park, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned discussion over their destiny often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities blocked the export of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are housed stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the federal government pays for the expense of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that request, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and group interactions point to they are remarkably smart mammals – something Kristy Burgess discovered personally.

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

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the subtleties and quirks in their personalities. She cultivated a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with different temperaments.

“One whale selected me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Each altered the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales developed against a context of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the park attributes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say reflects the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The facility did not admit visitors to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly consequences of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and swim around with pieces in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

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

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in recent months following the demise of a beluga, an unwell beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the park suspected details of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was released not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the park’s warning to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any plans to euthanize even a single beluga would require “considerable manpower”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

Burgess backs calls for the whales to be removed immediately from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a perpetual situation in confinement and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister commented. “As Canadians, we know that belugas are meant for the wild, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing approve an relocation that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments indicate a wider misunderstanding of the realities of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities struggle to find a answer, ideas have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of food for Inuit communities.

A suggested protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received regulatory clearance, has proven most controversial. The planned location, which includes a large area of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a long term answer for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the prospect of a protected habitat reflects a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible plan in the short term.

The project lead, director of the initiative, said the facility will replicate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales get from trainers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|