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

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a defunct facility, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated debate over their fate often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the federal government disallowed the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled attraction near Niagara Falls where they are kept warned to end their lives unless the federal government pays for the cost of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, problem solving and social skills indicate they are highly cognitive mammals – something one caretaker learned first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a position that required earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the details and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She developed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing natures.

“Eve chose me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Both altered the way I understand relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

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

During her time at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park links to expected lifespan, but which activists say reflects the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The facility did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand results of the closure. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not comment to a questionnaire, but in the past stated: “The whales … obtain far higher quality veterinary services and 24/7 care than any person in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in the spring following the demise of a beluga, an sick beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected details of the death were shared to the media and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any plans to euthanize even a single beluga would require “significant personnel”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

She supports requests for the whales to be removed right away from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In recent months, Canada’s government official rejected a proposal to export the whales to China.

“Allowing the request would have meant a ongoing existence in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that belugas belong in the wild, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in good conscience authorize an transfer that would prolong the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments indicate a more general incorrect perception of the facts of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials work to find a answer, proposals have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of food for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which has received regulatory clearance, has been contentious. The prospective facility, which includes extensive space of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a permanent resolution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the prospect of a protected habitat reflects a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a viable approach in the short term.

The project lead, head of the sanctuary project, said the site will simulate the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|