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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a disagreement between a defunct facility, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense controversy over their future often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities blocked the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are held warned to end their lives unless the federal government funds the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, problem solving and group interactions suggest they are highly cognitive animals – something a former trainer discovered personally.

She spent several years as a whale caretaker, a position that required building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so astounded by the nuances and unique traits in their characters. She developed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing personalities.

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

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s interaction with the whales developed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her tenure at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park links to expected lifespan, but which advocates say points to the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The facility did not operate to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and swim around with pieces in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not respond to a inquiry, but previously stated: “The whales … obtain far higher quality medical attention and 24/7 attention than any person in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in recent months following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the employees had to put down. She said the facility suspected details of the death were shared to the news outlets and she was fired not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any plans to put down even a one beluga would require “considerable personnel”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

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

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

“Granting the request would have meant a perpetual existence in enclosure and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister wrote. “As society, we know that whales belong in the ocean, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience authorize an transfer that would continue the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements reveal a more general misunderstanding of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities struggle to find a resolution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of food for local populations.

A suggested protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which now received regulatory clearance, has been most controversial. The planned location, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain optimistic that it could in time represent a permanent answer for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the idea of a sanctuary indicates a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a workable plan in the near future.

An official, leader of the sanctuary project, said the site will simulate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales get from trainers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|