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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an charming little “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a disagreement between a shuttered park, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense debate over their future often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government prevented the export of the belugas to China, the controversial attraction near the famous falls where they are kept warned to put them down unless the federal government covers the cost of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and group interactions suggest they are highly cognitive creatures – something a former trainer observed personally.

Burgess spent three years as a whale caretaker, a position that entailed building relationships of the aquatic animals.

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

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the nuances and quirks in their dispositions. She formed a particular love for a pair of whales with contrasting natures.

“One whale selected me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Both altered the way I perceive connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s relationship with the whales developed against a background of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her time at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the facility links to age-related causes, but which activists say points to the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The facility did not operate to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly effects of the closure. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and navigate with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not respond to a inquiry, but earlier claimed: “The whales … obtain far higher quality medical attention and constant attention than any individual in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in early March following the passing of a beluga, an ailing beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the park suspected information of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was released not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left her and other caretakers in anguish. She says the facility’s warning to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any plans to euthanize even a one beluga would require “significant staff”, vehicles and machinery.

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

She supports requests for the whales to be transferred promptly from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In recent months, Canada’s government official denied a proposal to transfer the whales to China.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a continued situation in enclosure and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As society, we know that belugas belong in the ocean, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience authorize an export that would continue the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks indicate a wider lack of awareness of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a solution, ideas have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of sustenance for local populations.

A proposed refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has proven highly debated. The planned location, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Supporters remain positive that it could eventually represent a long term resolution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the idea of a refuge indicates a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable approach in the short term.

The project lead, leader of the plan, said the location will mimic the mental engagement and nutrition the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|