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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute little “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a struggle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the intense debate over their destiny often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the Canadian government blocked the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling amusement park near the famous falls where they are housed warned to put them down unless the authorities covers the expense of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and communal behavior indicate they are highly cognitive mammals – something one caretaker discovered personally.

Burgess spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a position that entailed earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so amazed by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She cultivated a particular love for two female belugas with different natures.

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

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s interaction with the whales developed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility attributes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say points to the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The facility did not open to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly effects of the cessation. “Structural materials is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and swim around with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not comment to a request for comment, but in the past claimed: “The whales … receive far better medical attention and around the clock care than any human in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in recent months following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility thought details of the death were leaked to the media and she was fired soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left her and other caretakers in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “considerable staff”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess advocates for demands for the whales to be removed right away from the facility, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In late September, the nation’s government official turned down a bid to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a perpetual situation in confinement and a return to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As the public, we know that whales should be in the ocean, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing permit an relocation that would prolong the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements reflect a broader misunderstanding of the realities of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a answer, ideas have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of food for Indigenous peoples.

A planned refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received regulatory clearance, has shown to be contentious. The planned location, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain positive that it could eventually represent a long term solution for eight of the whales.

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

Different voices say the prospect of a protected habitat represents a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable solution in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, director of the plan, said the site will mimic the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|