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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute little “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a tussle between a defunct facility, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense controversy over their future often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government prevented the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to put them down unless the authorities funds the upkeep of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and group interactions indicate they are deeply intelligent animals – something Kristy Burgess discovered first-hand.

Burgess spent several years as a whale caretaker, a role that required building relationships of the marine predators.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She cultivated a particular love for two female belugas with opposing temperaments.

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

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales progressed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her three years at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, died. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the facility attributes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say indicates the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The facility did not open to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the cessation. “Concrete is breaking off from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and swim around with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not comment to a inquiry, but in the past claimed: “The whales … get far better medical attention and around the clock attention than any individual in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the facility suspected details of the death were shared to the press and she was released not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left her and other caretakers in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “significant personnel”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

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

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

“Granting the request would have meant a ongoing life in captivity and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that marine mammals are meant for the sea, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience approve an relocation that would continue the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments indicate a broader incorrect perception of the circumstances of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers attempt to find a solution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A proposed protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has proven highly debated. The future facility, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Advocates remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a sustainable resolution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the possibility of a refuge represents a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a workable approach in the coming months.

The project lead, head of the sanctuary project, said the location will mimic the cognitive activities and diet the whales get from specialists, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|