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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming little “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a tussle between a defunct facility, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated debate over their destiny often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the federal government prevented the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling attraction near the famous falls where they are housed threatened to end their lives unless the government funds the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, problem solving and social skills point to they are remarkably smart mammals – something a former trainer learned first-hand.

Burgess spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that required earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the details and unique traits in their dispositions. She formed a particular love for two female belugas with opposing natures.

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

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales developed against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, died. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility attributes to age-related causes, but which advocates say points to the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not open to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the shutdown. “Concrete is breaking off from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and navigate with pieces in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

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

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in the spring following the death of a beluga, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the facility believed particulars of the death were leaked to the press and she was fired soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the facility’s warning to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “considerable manpower”, equipment and machinery.

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

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

In the autumn, the nation’s government official denied a bid to export the whales to China.

“Allowing the request would have meant a perpetual situation in captivity and a return to performance for audiences,” the official wrote. “As society, we know that marine mammals are meant for the ocean, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an export that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements reveal a broader incorrect perception of the facts of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a resolution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of food for Inuit communities.

A suggested sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received government approval, has shown to be most controversial. The future location, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, is not yet built. Supporters remain positive that it could eventually represent a long term resolution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the prospect of a protected habitat reflects a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a viable solution in the near future.

Charles Vinick, director of the initiative, said the site will mimic the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|