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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a tussle between a shuttered park, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated discussion over their fate often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the federal government prevented the transfer of the belugas to China, the controversial amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the government funds the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and social skills indicate they are highly cognitive mammals – something Kristy Burgess discovered personally.

Burgess spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a position that involved earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so amazed by the details and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She cultivated a special affection for two female belugas with different temperaments.

“Eve chose me. The other demanded work,” she said. “They altered the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales developed against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, died. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the facility attributes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say reflects the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The facility did not admit visitors to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the closure. “Structural materials is breaking off from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not respond to a request for comment, but in the past stated: “The whales … get far superior health care and constant supervision than any person in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in recent months following the death of a beluga, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the park thought particulars of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in anguish. She says the park’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any attempts to put down even a individual beluga would require “significant personnel”, equipment and machinery.

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

She supports requests for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

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

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a ongoing existence in enclosure and a return to display for amusement,” the official wrote. “As society, we know that marine mammals are meant for the ocean, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience permit an relocation that would prolong the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments reflect a broader incorrect perception of the realities of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials attempt to find a answer, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of food for Inuit communities.

A planned protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which has received regulatory clearance, has been contentious. The planned facility, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a sustainable solution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the idea of a refuge represents a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible plan in the short term.

An official, leader of the initiative, said the location will replicate the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|