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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming little “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a tussle between a closed attraction, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their fate often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the people who see them each day.

After the national authorities disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are held stated it would consider to put them down unless the government funds the cost of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, problem solving and group interactions indicate they are highly cognitive animals – something Kristy Burgess observed personally.

Burgess spent several years as a whale caretaker, a job that entailed building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She developed a special affection for a pair of whales with different temperaments.

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

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection with the whales progressed against a background of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her three years at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the park links to age-related causes, but which advocates say indicates the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The facility did not operate to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly effects of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and swim around with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but in the past asserted: “The whales … obtain far higher quality health care and constant supervision than any person in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in early March following the passing of a beluga, an sick beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the facility believed particulars of the incident were leaked to the press and she was let go not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left her and staff members in despair. She says the park’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any plans to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “significant staff”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess backs calls for the whales to be taken immediately from the facility, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In recent months, the nation’s government official rejected a request to send the whales to China.

“Granting the application would have meant a perpetual life in enclosure and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As society, we know that whales belong in the wild, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience authorize an relocation that would prolong the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s statements indicate a wider incorrect perception of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities work to find a solution, proposals have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a important part of sustenance for local populations.

A planned protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received official endorsement, has proven contentious. The future facility, which includes extensive space of protected cove, is not yet built. Supporters remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a permanent solution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

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

The project lead, leader of the plan, said the site will simulate the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|