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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute small “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a tussle between a closed attraction, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned controversy over their destiny often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the embattled attraction near Niagara Falls where they are held stated it would consider to put them down unless the authorities covers the expense of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and social skills point to they are remarkably smart creatures – something one caretaker learned personally.

She spent several years as a whale caretaker, a position that involved earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the details and unique traits in their dispositions. She formed a special affection for a pair of whales with contrasting temperaments.

“One whale chose me. The other demanded work,” she said. “They changed the way I view connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, died. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park links to natural mortality, 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 Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and move about with chunks in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not reply to a inquiry, but previously asserted: “The whales … get far higher quality health care and constant attention than any person in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in early March following the death of Eos, an sick beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the facility thought information of the death were leaked to the news outlets and she was fired not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in anguish. She says the park’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any efforts to put down even a individual beluga would require “considerable manpower”, equipment and machinery.

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

She advocates for requests for the whales to be transferred right away from the park, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In recent months, Canada’s government official turned down a bid to export the whales to China.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a perpetual existence in enclosure and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that belugas should be in the wild, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an export that would continue the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reflect a broader lack of awareness of the circumstances of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a resolution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of nourishment for local populations.

A planned protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received regulatory clearance, has been highly debated. The prospective location, which includes extensive space of protected cove, is not yet built. Advocates remain hopeful that it could in time represent a long term solution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the prospect of a protected habitat represents a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable plan in the short term.

Charles Vinick, head of the sanctuary project, said the site will replicate the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|