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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable little “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a disagreement between a defunct facility, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned controversy over their future often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire 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 facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to euthanize them unless the federal government pays for the expense of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that request, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and social skills indicate they are highly cognitive animals – something Kristy Burgess discovered personally.

She spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a job that entailed earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so amazed by the subtleties and quirks in their personalities. She developed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with different natures.

“One whale chose me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Both transformed the way I perceive relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales progressed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility attributes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say points to the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The facility did not admit visitors to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not reply to a questionnaire, but previously stated: “The whales … get far higher quality medical attention and around the clock attention than any person in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in early March following the death of a beluga, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park suspected information of the incident were leaked to the media and she was let go soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the facility’s warning to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “significant staff”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

She backs calls for the whales to be transferred right away from the park, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In recent months, Canada’s government official rejected a request to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the application would have meant a ongoing situation in confinement and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that marine mammals should be in the wild, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in good conscience approve an transfer that would continue the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks indicate a more general incorrect perception of the realities of existence for belugas born in captivity.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers struggle to find a answer, proposals have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which now received government approval, has shown to be contentious. The future facility, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a long term solution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the idea of a refuge indicates a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a viable solution in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, director of the plan, said the location will mimic the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|