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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an charming little “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a disagreement between a shuttered park, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the heated discussion over their fate often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are held threatened to euthanize them unless the government funds the expense of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and group interactions point to they are highly cognitive animals – something Kristy Burgess learned personally.

Burgess spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a job that entailed building relationships of the marine predators.

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

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the nuances and unique traits in their dispositions. She formed a deep bond for two female belugas with contrasting personalities.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Both transformed the way I understand bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales progressed against a background of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her time at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park links to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say indicates the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The facility did not admit visitors to the guests 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 tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not respond to a request for comment, but earlier claimed: “The whales … get far higher quality medical attention and 24/7 supervision than any human in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the park in early March following the passing of Eos, an sick beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the park believed particulars of the incident were leaked to the media and she was fired not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and other caretakers in distress. She says the park’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any attempts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “considerable manpower”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

Burgess backs requests for the whales to be removed immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a bid to send the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the request would have meant a continued existence in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals should be in the ocean, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing approve an relocation that would prolong the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements reflect a more general misunderstanding of the circumstances of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities work to find a answer, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of food for Inuit communities.

A planned protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received regulatory clearance, has been highly debated. The future facility, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain positive that it could eventually represent a sustainable resolution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the prospect of a protected habitat represents a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible approach in the coming months.

An official, director of the initiative, 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 medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|