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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a disagreement between a shuttered park, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the heated controversy over their fate often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the federal government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near the famous falls where they are held warned to end their lives unless the federal government covers the expense of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and communal behavior suggest they are highly cognitive mammals – something one caretaker learned directly.

Burgess spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that required gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the subtleties and unique traits in their personalities. She developed a special affection for a pair of whales with different natures.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They changed the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales evolved against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, died. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility attributes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say indicates the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The facility did not open to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the shutdown. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and move about with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but previously claimed: “The whales … receive far superior veterinary services and constant attention than any person in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in recent months following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the facility believed information of the incident were leaked to the media and she was released shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and current and former trainers in despair. She says the park’s warning to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any efforts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “significant manpower”, trucks and machinery.

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

Burgess advocates for calls for the whales to be taken promptly from the park, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

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

“To approve the proposal would have meant a continued situation in captivity and a return to public entertainment,” the minister wrote. “As society, we know that belugas belong in the ocean, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience approve an relocation that would continue the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks indicate a wider misunderstanding of the realities of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a solution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A planned protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received government approval, has proven highly debated. The prospective site, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Proponents remain positive that it could in time represent a sustainable resolution for some of the whales.

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

Some experts say the idea of a refuge reflects a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible plan in the short term.

An official, director of the plan, said the facility will simulate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|