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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a disagreement between a defunct facility, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the heated debate over their future often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the people who see them each day.

After the national authorities disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling attraction near Niagara Falls where they are housed warned to put them down unless the government covers the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that demand, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and communal behavior indicate they are remarkably smart mammals – something one caretaker discovered directly.

She spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that entailed earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the nuances and unique traits in their characters. She formed a deep bond for two female belugas with different temperaments.

“One whale accepted me. The other required effort,” she said. “Each altered the way I understand bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales evolved against a context of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility ascribes to natural mortality, but which advocates say reflects the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not open to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and swim around with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not reply to a questionnaire, but in the past asserted: “The whales … get far higher quality veterinary services and constant care than any individual in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the facility in early March following the passing of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected details of the death were shared to the media and she was fired soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the facility’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any plans to euthanize even a single beluga would require “significant staff”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

She backs requests for the whales to be removed right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

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

“Granting the request would have meant a continued situation in confinement and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that belugas belong in the ocean, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience authorize an relocation that would continue the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

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

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a answer, ideas have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a key source of nourishment for local populations.

A proposed protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which now received government approval, has been most controversial. The prospective site, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a long term resolution for a number of the whales.

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

Others say the prospect of a protected habitat indicates a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable approach in the near future.

The project lead, leader of the plan, said the facility will simulate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|