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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming small “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a disagreement between a defunct facility, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned debate over their fate often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the humans who see them each day.

After the federal government prevented the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are held threatened to end their lives unless the federal government covers the upkeep of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and group interactions point to they are highly cognitive creatures – something Kristy Burgess learned first-hand.

Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a job that entailed building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She developed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with different personalities.

“Eve chose me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Each transformed the way I understand connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her tenure at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility ascribes to age-related causes, but which advocates say reflects the substandard environment 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 cessation. “Concrete is deteriorating from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and swim around with fragments in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not comment to a inquiry, but earlier claimed: “The whales … receive far better medical attention and 24/7 supervision than any person in the UK, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in recent months following the death of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the facility thought particulars of the death were disclosed to the press and she was let go not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and staff members in despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any plans to put down even a single beluga would require “considerable manpower”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

She supports calls for the whales to be removed immediately from the facility, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official rejected a proposal to send the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the request would have meant a perpetual life in enclosure and a return to display for amusement,” the official wrote. “As society, we know that marine mammals should be in the ocean, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in good conscience approve an transfer that would prolong the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks indicate a more general misunderstanding of the circumstances of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a resolution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A planned refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has proven most controversial. The prospective site, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain hopeful that it could in time represent a permanent solution for eight of the whales.

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

Some experts say the prospect of a protected habitat reflects a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a viable solution in the coming months.

An official, leader of the initiative, said the site will simulate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|