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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a tussle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned debate over their fate often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities disallowed the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the federal government funds the cost of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and social skills point to they are remarkably smart animals – something a former trainer learned first-hand.

She spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that required earning the trust of the sea creatures.

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

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so astounded by the details and quirks in their personalities. She cultivated a deep bond for two female belugas with contrasting personalities.

“Eve chose me. The other required effort,” she said. “Both altered the way I view relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales progressed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her tenure at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility links to natural mortality, but which advocates say points to the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not open to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the cessation. “Concrete is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and swim around with pieces in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but earlier claimed: “The whales … obtain far better health care and constant care than any human in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in the spring following the passing of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility believed particulars of the incident were shared to the media and she was released soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the park’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “considerable manpower”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess backs calls for the whales to be transferred promptly from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a request to send the whales to China.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a continued existence in confinement and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official commented. “As society, we know that marine mammals should be in the sea, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience permit an transfer that would continue the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements indicate a broader lack of awareness of the circumstances of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a answer, ideas have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a important part of sustenance for local populations.

A planned protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which now received regulatory clearance, has proven most controversial. The prospective facility, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain optimistic that it could in time represent a long term resolution for a number of the whales.

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

Different voices say the possibility of a sanctuary indicates a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a viable plan in the short term.

An official, head of the plan, said the site will simulate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|