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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute little “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a disagreement between a closed attraction, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense debate over their future often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities blocked the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near Niagara Falls where they are kept stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the federal government pays for the cost of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that request, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and group interactions indicate they are deeply intelligent animals – something one caretaker observed first-hand.

Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a role that involved earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so astounded by the details and quirks in their characters. She cultivated a special affection for two female belugas with opposing temperaments.

“One whale selected me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They changed the way I perceive bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her three years at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the facility ascribes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say indicates the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The facility did not operate to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the cessation. “Concrete is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and navigate with chunks in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not reply to a request for comment, but previously asserted: “The whales … get far higher quality medical attention and 24/7 attention than any individual in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the park in early March following the death of a beluga, an ailing beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the park thought details 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 anguish. She says the facility’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any plans to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “considerable staff”, vehicles and machinery.

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

She backs demands for the whales to be transferred promptly from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a request to send the whales to China.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a continued existence in enclosure and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that belugas belong in the ocean, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience approve an export that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements indicate a broader lack of awareness of the realities of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities attempt to find a resolution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A suggested refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received government approval, has proven most controversial. The prospective location, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain hopeful that it could in time represent a permanent answer for a number of the whales.

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

Others say the prospect of a refuge indicates a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible plan in the coming months.

The project lead, director of the initiative, said the location will replicate the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|