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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute little “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a disagreement between a defunct facility, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the heated discussion over their future often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities blocked the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial attraction near the famous falls where they are housed warned to euthanize them unless the government funds the expense of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that demand, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and social skills point to they are highly cognitive animals – something Kristy Burgess observed directly.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a job that required earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those bonds 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 open with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so surprised by the details and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She formed a deep bond for two female belugas with different personalities.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Both altered the way I perceive connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

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

During her time at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the park attributes to age-related causes, but which advocates say points to the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The facility did not open to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the shutdown. “Structural materials is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and swim around with chunks in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but in the past stated: “The whales … obtain far superior veterinary services and around the clock supervision than any human in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in early March following the death of a beluga, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected information of the death were shared to the media and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the park’s warning to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any efforts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “significant manpower”, vehicles and specialized tools.

“It cannot happen in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

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

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a bid to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the request would have meant a continued life in captivity and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister commented. “As society, we know that belugas belong in the sea, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing authorize an relocation that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reveal a broader misunderstanding of the facts of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a solution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of food for Inuit communities.

A suggested refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has shown to be highly debated. The prospective site, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain positive that it could ultimately represent a permanent solution for eight of the whales.

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

Some experts say the idea of a refuge represents a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a workable plan in the near future.

The project lead, head of the sanctuary project, said the site will simulate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|