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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable little “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a struggle between a defunct facility, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned controversy over their destiny often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities blocked the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are kept stated it would consider to put them down unless the federal government pays for the cost of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and group interactions indicate they are deeply intelligent animals – something Kristy Burgess observed first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a position that required building relationships of the marine predators.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the details and unique traits in their dispositions. She developed a deep bond for two female belugas with different personalities.

“Eve accepted me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Both transformed the way I view relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales evolved against a background of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her tenure at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, died. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility attributes to natural mortality, but which advocates say reflects the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The park did not open to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the cessation. “Concrete is deteriorating from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and navigate with fragments in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not reply to a request for comment, but in the past claimed: “The whales … obtain far superior veterinary services and 24/7 supervision than any human in the Britain, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in the spring following the passing of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the park believed information of the death were leaked to the news outlets and she was fired not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any attempts to put down even a one beluga would require “considerable manpower”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess backs demands for the whales to be transferred immediately from the facility, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a request to export the whales to China.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a ongoing situation in confinement and a return to display for amusement,” the official stated. “As the public, we know that whales are meant for the ocean, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience approve an transfer that would continue the situation these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments indicate a more general misunderstanding of the facts of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” 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 authorities attempt to find a solution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A planned protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has shown to be contentious. The prospective location, which includes a large area of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a permanent solution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the idea of a protected habitat indicates a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible solution in the short term.

An official, director of the initiative, said the site will simulate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|