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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute little “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a tussle between a defunct facility, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the heated debate over their fate often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities prevented the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are kept warned to end their lives unless the authorities funds the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that demand, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and group interactions suggest they are deeply intelligent mammals – something one caretaker observed personally.

She spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a job that required earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency 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 exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so surprised by the nuances and unique traits in their characters. She formed a particular love for a pair of whales with opposing personalities.

“One whale selected me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Each altered the way I view relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales evolved against a background of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility ascribes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say reflects the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The facility did not operate to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes effects of the cessation. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not comment to a questionnaire, but earlier stated: “The whales … receive far better veterinary services and around the clock attention than any individual in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in early March following the demise of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the facility thought details of the death were leaked to the press and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any plans to euthanize even a single beluga would require “considerable manpower”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

She backs requests for the whales to be removed promptly from the facility, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In late September, Canada’s government official denied a request to export the whales to China.

“Allowing the application would have meant a perpetual existence in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals should be in the wild, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in good conscience authorize an export that would prolong the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks indicate a broader lack of awareness of the circumstances of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As authorities work to find a answer, proposals have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A planned refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received regulatory clearance, has shown to be contentious. The planned site, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain positive that it could in time represent a permanent resolution for some 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’ fate.

Others say the prospect of a sanctuary reflects a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a workable plan in the short term.

The project lead, director of the initiative, said the site will mimic the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales get from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|