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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming little “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

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 animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned controversy over their fate often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the people who see them each day.

After the national authorities prevented the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near the famous falls where they are housed threatened to put them down unless the government pays for the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and communal behavior indicate they are highly cognitive animals – something a former trainer learned first-hand.

She spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a position that involved gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the details and quirks in their personalities. She formed a particular love for a pair of whales with opposing temperaments.

“One whale accepted me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “They changed the way I view relationships.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her time at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the facility links to age-related causes, but which advocates say reflects the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The facility did not operate to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the shutdown. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and navigate with pieces in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not reply to a inquiry, but earlier claimed: “The whales … obtain far better veterinary services and around the clock care than any individual in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in early March following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to put down. She said the facility suspected particulars of the death were leaked to the news outlets and she was released soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left her and other caretakers in distress. She says the facility’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “immense personnel”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

“It cannot happen in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess advocates for requests for the whales to be transferred right away from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a proposal to transfer the whales to China.

“To approve the application would have meant a continued life in enclosure and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister commented. “As Canadians, we know that whales belong in the wild, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing approve an relocation that would continue the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reveal a more general misunderstanding of the realities of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials work to find a solution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of food for local populations.

A proposed refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received government approval, has been highly debated. The planned site, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain positive that it could ultimately represent a long term resolution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the prospect of a protected habitat represents a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a feasible solution in the short term.

An official, head of the plan, said the location will replicate the mental engagement and diet the whales get from specialists, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|