It is devastating’: the way thirty captive white whales are now pawns in conflict over animal cruelty.

The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an charming little “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a struggle between a shuttered park, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the heated discussion over their destiny often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the people who see them each day.

After the Canadian government blocked the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near Niagara Falls where they are kept stated it would consider to end their lives unless the federal government pays for the cost of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and social skills point to they are highly cognitive animals – something a former trainer learned first-hand.

Burgess spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that required earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the details and unique traits in their personalities. She formed a particular love for two female belugas with contrasting temperaments.

“One whale selected me. The other required effort,” she said. “Both altered the way I understand relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s relationship with the whales progressed against a context of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her tenure at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, died. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a toll which the park attributes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say indicates the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The park did not operate to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand results of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and move about with chunks in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not reply to a questionnaire, but in the past asserted: “The whales … obtain far better medical attention and around the clock attention than any person in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in recent months following the death of a beluga, an ailing beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the park thought details of the death were shared to the press and she was fired not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left her and staff members in anguish. She says the facility’s warning to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any plans to put down even a one beluga would require “considerable staff”, equipment and machinery.

“There’s no way in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess supports demands for the whales to be transferred right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official denied a request to export the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the request would have meant a perpetual existence in confinement and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister commented. “As Canadians, we know that belugas are meant for the ocean, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in good conscience permit an relocation that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments reveal a more general incorrect perception of the circumstances of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers struggle to find a resolution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of food for Inuit communities.

A proposed refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received government approval, has proven most controversial. The prospective site, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain positive that it could in time represent a permanent answer for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the prospect of a sanctuary represents a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a viable solution in the short term.

The project lead, leader of the sanctuary project, said the site will mimic the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|