It is deeply saddening’: the way thirty captive white whales are now bargaining chips in row over animal welfare.

Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a tussle between a defunct facility, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned debate over their future often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the people who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government prevented the export of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near the famous falls where they are held stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the authorities covers the cost of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that demand, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and communal behavior point to they are highly cognitive creatures – something a former trainer discovered directly.

Burgess spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that involved building relationships of the aquatic animals.

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

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so astounded by the details and quirks in their personalities. She formed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting personalities.

“Eve selected me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Each changed the way I perceive relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales progressed against a context of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her time at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, died. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park ascribes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say points to the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The facility did not operate to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly effects of the shutdown. “Structural materials is falling apart from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not respond to a inquiry, but in the past stated: “The whales … receive far higher quality health care and constant attention than any human in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in recent months following the demise of a beluga, an ailing beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility believed information of the incident were disclosed to the news outlets and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left her and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s threat to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any attempts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “immense staff”, equipment and specialized tools.

“It cannot happen in hell the staff would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess supports requests for the whales to be taken immediately from the facility, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a bid to transfer the whales to China.

“To approve the application would have meant a perpetual existence in captivity and a return to public entertainment,” the official stated. “As the public, we know that belugas belong in the wild, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing authorize an transfer that would continue the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reflect a more general lack of awareness of the realities of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials attempt to find a resolution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of food for Inuit communities.

A proposed refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received government approval, has been contentious. The future site, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain optimistic that it could in time represent a permanent answer for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the idea of a refuge reflects a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible solution in the short term.

An official, head of the initiative, said the location will simulate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|