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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

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

But those working directly with the whales say the heated controversy over their destiny often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the people who see them each day.

After the national authorities disallowed the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are held warned to euthanize them unless the government pays for the cost of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that request, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and group interactions point to they are deeply intelligent creatures – something one caretaker discovered personally.

She spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that entailed building relationships of the marine predators.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open 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 nuances and unique traits in their characters. She developed a deep bond for two female belugas with contrasting natures.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Both transformed the way I understand connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales developed against a background of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the park attributes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say points to the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The facility did not admit visitors to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand effects of the closure. “Structural materials is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and swim around with fragments in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not comment to a inquiry, but in the past stated: “The whales … obtain far better medical attention and around the clock care than any human in the Britain, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the park in early March following the passing of Eos, an unwell beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the park believed information of the incident were shared to the media and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in anguish. She says the park’s threat to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any efforts to put down even a one beluga would require “considerable staff”, equipment and machinery.

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

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

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a request to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a continued existence in enclosure and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that whales are meant for the wild, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing permit an relocation that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements reveal a wider incorrect perception of the circumstances of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials struggle to find a solution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received government approval, has shown to be highly debated. The planned site, which includes extensive space of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain positive that it could in time represent a permanent answer for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Others say the idea of a protected habitat reflects a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible solution in the short term.

The project lead, director of the plan, said the site will mimic the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|