It is deeply saddening’: the way 30 captive beluga whales are now pawns in dispute over inhumane treatment.

Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a disagreement between a shuttered park, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated debate over their fate often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the people who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government prevented the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled attraction near the famous falls where they are housed stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the federal government funds the expense of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that demand, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and communal behavior indicate they are deeply intelligent mammals – something one caretaker observed personally.

Burgess spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that involved gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so amazed by the details and unique traits in their dispositions. She developed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with different natures.

“Eve accepted me. The other required effort,” she said. “Each changed the way I understand connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

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

During her tenure at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the park ascribes to age-related causes, but which advocates say reflects the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The facility did not open to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the cessation. “Structural materials is breaking off from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and move about with pieces in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not reply to a inquiry, but earlier stated: “The whales … receive far superior health care and 24/7 care than any person in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in recent months following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park believed details of the death were shared to the press and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left her and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any plans to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “considerable personnel”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

Burgess backs calls for the whales to be transferred right away from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In late September, Canada’s government official rejected a request to transfer the whales to China.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a perpetual existence in enclosure and a return to display for amusement,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that belugas should be in the ocean, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience approve an relocation that would continue the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reflect a more general misunderstanding of the facts of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

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

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers work to find a resolution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A suggested protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has proven contentious. The planned facility, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a long term answer for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the prospect of a refuge reflects a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible approach in the short term.

The project lead, director of the sanctuary project, said the site will replicate the mental engagement and diet the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|