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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming small “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” 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 Canadian entertainment facility have become pawns in a disagreement between a shuttered park, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the intense debate over their future often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government prevented the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept warned to euthanize them unless the government covers the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and group interactions indicate they are deeply intelligent creatures – something Kristy Burgess learned first-hand.

Burgess spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that required earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the beginning, 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 fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the nuances and unique traits in their personalities. She formed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing personalities.

“One whale accepted me. The other demanded work,” she said. “They altered the way I view bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales evolved against a background of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her tenure at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility attributes to age-related causes, but which advocates say indicates the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly effects of the closure. “Structural materials is breaking off from the pools because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and navigate with pieces in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not reply to a request for comment, but previously stated: “The whales … obtain far higher quality health care and constant attention than any person in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in recent months following the demise of a beluga, an unwell beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the park believed details of the death were disclosed to the media and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s threat to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any plans to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “immense manpower”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

She supports demands for the whales to be transferred promptly from the park, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In late September, the nation’s government official rejected a proposal to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the request would have meant a perpetual situation in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister stated. “As society, we know that whales are meant for the ocean, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in good conscience authorize an transfer that would prolong the situation these belugas have experienced.”

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

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a answer, ideas have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of sustenance for local populations.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has proven highly debated. The planned site, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Advocates remain positive that it could ultimately represent a long term resolution for a number of the whales.

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

Different voices say the prospect of a refuge indicates a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible solution in the short term.

The project lead, director of the initiative, said the facility will replicate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|