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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming little “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a struggle between a shuttered park, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated controversy over their destiny often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities blocked the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept stated it would consider to end their lives unless the federal government covers the cost of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, problem solving and group interactions point to they are remarkably smart mammals – something a former trainer learned first-hand.

Burgess spent three years as a whale caretaker, a job that entailed earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the start, 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 extraordinary and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the subtleties and quirks in their personalities. She developed a particular love for two female belugas with different natures.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Each transformed the way I view relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales developed against a context of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility links to natural mortality, but which advocates say reflects the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The facility did not open to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes results of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the pools because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not reply to a questionnaire, but earlier claimed: “The whales … get far better health care and around the clock supervision than any individual in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in recent months following the demise of Eos, an ailing beluga the employees had to put down. She said the facility believed particulars of the incident were leaked to the press and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any attempts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “considerable personnel”, vehicles and machinery.

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

Burgess supports calls for the whales to be removed right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official denied a bid to send the whales to China.

“To approve the request would have meant a perpetual situation in confinement and a return to performance for audiences,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that belugas are meant for the sea, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing permit an relocation that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments indicate a more general incorrect perception of the realities of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities attempt to find a solution, proposals have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of food for local populations.

A proposed refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has shown to be highly debated. The prospective location, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a long term solution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff 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 sanctuary indicates a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a viable approach in the coming months.

An official, head of the initiative, said the location will simulate the mental engagement and diet the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|