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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute small “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a tussle between a closed attraction, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated controversy over their fate often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the people who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government blocked the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are housed threatened to end their lives unless the federal government funds the cost of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that demand, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and group interactions suggest they are remarkably smart creatures – something one caretaker learned personally.

Burgess spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a position that involved building relationships of the aquatic animals.

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

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the subtleties and quirks in their personalities. She developed a special affection for two female belugas with different personalities.

“One whale selected me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Each changed the way I understand connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales progressed against a context of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her tenure at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility attributes to expected lifespan, but which activists say points to the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The facility did not operate to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the shutdown. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but earlier asserted: “The whales … obtain far superior medical attention and 24/7 attention than any human in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the park in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an ailing beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the park suspected details of the death were disclosed to the news outlets and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left her and other caretakers in anguish. She says the park’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any efforts to put down even a single beluga would require “considerable personnel”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess supports requests for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In recent months, the nation’s government official turned down a proposal to send the whales to China.

“Allowing the request would have meant a perpetual life in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the official commented. “As society, we know that whales should be in the sea, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing permit an transfer that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements reflect a more general lack of awareness of the realities of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a answer, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a important part of food for local populations.

A proposed protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received official endorsement, has been highly debated. The future location, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, is not yet built. Advocates remain positive that it could ultimately represent a permanent solution for a number of the whales.

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

Different voices say the prospect of a refuge indicates a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible plan in the near future.

The project lead, head of the plan, said the location will replicate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales get from specialists, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|