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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming small “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a disagreement between a closed attraction, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense discussion over their fate often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the Canadian government blocked the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling facility near the famous falls where they are housed threatened to euthanize them unless the federal government funds the expense of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and group interactions point to they are deeply intelligent mammals – something Kristy Burgess learned first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a role that required gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the details and unique traits in their dispositions. She developed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting temperaments.

“Eve selected me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They transformed the way I perceive relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

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

During her three years at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, died. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park ascribes to age-related causes, but which advocates say points to the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not admit visitors to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the closure. “Structural materials is breaking off from the pools because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and move about with chunks in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not reply to a inquiry, but earlier asserted: “The whales … obtain far superior veterinary services and around the clock care than any human in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the park in early March following the demise of a beluga, an sick beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the facility thought details of the death were leaked to the news outlets and she was released not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and current and former trainers in despair. She says the park’s warning to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “significant personnel”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

She backs calls for the whales to be transferred immediately from the facility, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a proposal to export the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the request would have meant a perpetual existence in enclosure and a return to display for amusement,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals should be in the ocean, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing permit an relocation that would prolong the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reveal a wider incorrect perception of the circumstances of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats 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 ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials struggle to find a solution, proposals have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A proposed refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which now received official endorsement, has proven contentious. The planned facility, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Supporters remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a sustainable solution for some of the whales.

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

Others say the prospect of a sanctuary represents a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a viable plan in the short term.

Charles Vinick, head of the plan, said the site will mimic the mental engagement and nutrition the whales get from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|