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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves 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 become pawns in a disagreement between a shuttered park, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated controversy over their destiny often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities prevented the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling facility near the famous falls where they are held stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the federal government covers the expense of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and social skills suggest they are remarkably smart animals – something Kristy Burgess learned first-hand.

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

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

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the details and quirks in their dispositions. She developed a deep bond for two female belugas with contrasting natures.

“Eve chose me. The other required effort,” she said. “Each altered the way I understand bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales progressed against a background of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her tenure at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the park links to age-related causes, but which activists say indicates the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The facility did not operate to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes results of the cessation. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not reply to a request for comment, but earlier stated: “The whales … obtain far better medical attention and around the clock supervision than any human in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in early March following the demise of a beluga, an ailing beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the park believed particulars of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was released not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and other caretakers in anguish. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “immense manpower”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

She advocates for calls for the whales to be taken right away from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a bid to transfer the whales to China.

“To approve the application would have meant a ongoing situation in confinement and a return to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As Canadians, we know that whales should be in the wild, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in good conscience permit an export that would continue the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements indicate a broader misunderstanding of the realities of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers work to find a solution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for local populations.

A planned refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has proven contentious. The prospective location, which includes extensive space of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a long term answer for some of the whales.

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

Others say the prospect of a sanctuary reflects a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a workable approach in the short term.

An official, director of the initiative, said the location will mimic the cognitive activities and diet the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|