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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming little “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a disagreement between a shuttered park, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense controversy over their future often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the federal government disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near Niagara Falls where they are housed stated it would consider to end their lives unless the authorities funds the expense of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and communal behavior suggest they are deeply intelligent animals – something Kristy Burgess observed first-hand.

She spent three years as a beluga trainer, a job that required gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the nuances and quirks in their dispositions. She developed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing personalities.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Both transformed the way I perceive relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales developed against a context of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her time at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the facility ascribes to natural mortality, but which advocates say indicates the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The park did not open to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the shutdown. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and swim around with pieces in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not respond to a inquiry, but previously claimed: “The whales … receive far superior medical attention and around the clock attention than any person in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in early March following the death of a beluga, an ailing beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the park suspected particulars of the death were leaked to the media and she was fired soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and other caretakers in distress. She says the park’s warning 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 “significant manpower”, equipment and machinery.

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

Burgess advocates for demands for the whales to be taken immediately from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In late September, the nation’s government official denied a bid to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the application would have meant a continued existence in confinement and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official wrote. “As the public, we know that whales belong in the ocean, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in good conscience approve an export that would continue the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reflect a wider lack of awareness of the facts of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities attempt to find a answer, ideas have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of nourishment for local populations.

A proposed sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which now received government approval, has shown to be contentious. The future site, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Proponents remain positive that it could in time represent a sustainable resolution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the prospect of a refuge reflects a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a workable plan in the short term.

Charles Vinick, head of the initiative, said the site will replicate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|