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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways 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 disagreement between a shuttered park, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned controversy over their fate often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near the famous falls where they are held threatened to euthanize them unless the government covers the expense of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that request, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, problem solving and social skills point to they are remarkably smart creatures – something Kristy Burgess discovered directly.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a position that involved gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the details and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She formed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with different personalities.

“Eve chose me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Each transformed the way I perceive relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

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

During her three years at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility links to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say reflects the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The facility did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the shutdown. “Structural materials is breaking off from the pools because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and navigate with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not reply to a request for comment, but previously stated: “The whales … get far higher quality health care and around the clock supervision than any individual in the UK, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the park in recent months following the demise of a beluga, an sick beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the facility thought details of the incident were leaked to the media and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in distress. She says the facility’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any plans to euthanize even a one beluga would require “significant manpower”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess supports requests for the whales to be removed immediately from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a request to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the request would have meant a continued situation in confinement and a return to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As Canadians, we know that whales are meant for the ocean, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience permit an export that would prolong the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements reflect a wider incorrect perception of the facts of existence for belugas born in captivity.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a answer, ideas have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of nourishment for local populations.

A suggested protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received official endorsement, has proven most controversial. The prospective site, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain positive that it could eventually represent a permanent answer for some of the whales.

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

Different voices say the idea of a sanctuary indicates a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable solution in the short term.

Charles Vinick, head of the sanctuary project, said the location will replicate the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|