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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 very loyal companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a disagreement between a closed attraction, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense discussion over their fate often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the people who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government disallowed the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to put them down unless the government covers the cost of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and group interactions point to they are remarkably smart creatures – something a former trainer discovered first-hand.

Burgess spent three years as a whale caretaker, a position that involved earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Developing those connections 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 trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the details and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She cultivated a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing temperaments.

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

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales evolved against a context of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her three years at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, died. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the facility ascribes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say points to the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The facility did not operate to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the shutdown. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and swim around with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but in the past claimed: “The whales … obtain far better health care and 24/7 attention than any person in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in recent months following the death of Eos, an sick beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility believed details of the incident were shared to the press and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the park’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any plans to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “considerable staff”, vehicles and machinery.

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

Burgess advocates for demands for the whales to be removed immediately from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In late September, Canada’s government official turned down a request to send the whales to China.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a continued existence in enclosure and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that belugas should be in the ocean, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience authorize an transfer that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements reflect a broader incorrect perception of the realities of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials attempt to find a answer, proposals have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of nourishment for local populations.

A planned protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received regulatory clearance, has shown to be highly debated. The planned facility, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain positive that it could in time represent a long term resolution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ future.

Others say the idea of a refuge represents a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible solution in the short term.

The project lead, leader of the plan, said the site will simulate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|