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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable small “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a tussle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated discussion over their destiny often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been closely studied by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government prevented the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near the famous falls where they are housed threatened to put them down unless the authorities funds the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and social skills suggest they are deeply intelligent animals – something a former trainer observed personally.

She spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a role that required building relationships of the marine predators.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the details and unique traits in their dispositions. She developed a particular love for two female belugas with opposing natures.

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

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales progressed against a background of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her three years at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the park ascribes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say indicates the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The park did not open to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly effects of the cessation. “Structural materials is falling apart from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and swim around with pieces in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not respond to a inquiry, but earlier claimed: “The whales … get far better health care and constant supervision than any human in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in early March following the demise of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the park suspected details of the incident were disclosed to the press and she was let go not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any plans to put down even a individual beluga would require “immense personnel”, equipment and machinery.

“It’s impossible in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess advocates for requests for the whales to be removed immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a bid to transfer the whales to China.

“To approve the application would have meant a continued life in captivity and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official commented. “As society, we know that belugas belong in the wild, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing approve an relocation that would prolong the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks reflect a more general misunderstanding of the facts of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers attempt to find a answer, ideas have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters 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 recently received regulatory clearance, has been highly debated. The future location, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Advocates remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a sustainable answer for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ future.

Others say the idea of a sanctuary indicates a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable solution in the coming months.

An official, head of the sanctuary project, said the site will simulate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales get from trainers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|