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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a disagreement between a defunct facility, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated debate over their fate often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the federal government prevented the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near Niagara Falls where they are held stated it would consider to end their lives unless the authorities pays for the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and group interactions suggest they are deeply intelligent creatures – something Kristy Burgess discovered first-hand.

Burgess spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that involved gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the details and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She cultivated a special affection for a pair of whales with different natures.

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

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales developed against a background of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her time at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park links to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say reflects the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not open to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and navigate with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not reply to a questionnaire, but earlier claimed: “The whales … get far better health care and constant care than any human in the Britain, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the park in the spring following the demise of a beluga, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the park suspected information of the incident were leaked to the media and she was released not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left her and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s threat to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any efforts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “considerable staff”, vehicles and machinery.

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

She backs calls for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a bid to send the whales to China.

“Granting 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 marine mammals should be in the sea, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an export that would prolong the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reflect a broader incorrect perception of the facts of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers attempt to find a answer, proposals have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a important part of food for Indigenous peoples.

A planned refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has proven highly debated. The prospective location, which includes extensive space of protected cove, is not yet built. Advocates remain positive that it could ultimately represent a sustainable resolution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the idea of a protected habitat reflects a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable plan in the short term.

The project lead, director of the sanctuary project, said the site will replicate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|