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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable little “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a disagreement between a defunct facility, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense debate over their future often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been closely studied by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the Canadian government disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are housed warned to put them down unless the federal government funds the cost of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and social skills suggest they are remarkably smart mammals – something Kristy Burgess discovered personally.

Burgess spent three years as a whale caretaker, a role that entailed earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the start, 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 extraordinary and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so astounded by the details and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She cultivated a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting temperaments.

“One whale selected me. The other demanded work,” she said. “They transformed the way I perceive bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales developed against a background of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her time at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, died. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the facility ascribes to natural mortality, but which activists say reflects the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The park did not operate to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly effects of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but previously claimed: “The whales … obtain far better veterinary services and around the clock attention than any person in the Britain, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in recent months following the passing of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park suspected information of the death were disclosed to the press and she was fired soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “significant personnel”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess supports demands for the whales to be removed right away from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a perpetual situation in captivity and a return to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As the public, we know that belugas belong in the wild, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in good conscience authorize an relocation that would prolong the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reflect a broader misunderstanding of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers attempt to find a answer, proposals have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of food for Inuit communities.

A proposed refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has shown to be most controversial. The planned site, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain hopeful that it could in time represent a long term resolution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the prospect of a refuge indicates a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a workable solution in the coming months.

The project lead, director of the plan, said the site will replicate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|