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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty enclosed 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 future often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government blocked the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling facility near Niagara Falls where they are held warned to euthanize them unless the federal government pays for the cost of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and social skills indicate they are remarkably smart mammals – something one caretaker discovered personally.

Burgess spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a role that involved building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so astounded by the details and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She cultivated a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with different personalities.

“Eve chose me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Each altered the way I perceive connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales progressed against a context of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, died. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the facility ascribes to expected lifespan, but which activists say points to the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The facility did not open to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly effects of the cessation. “Structural materials is breaking off from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not comment to a inquiry, but earlier claimed: “The whales … obtain far superior health care and constant care than any individual in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in recent months following the passing of Eos, an sick beluga the employees had to put down. She said the facility suspected details of the death were leaked to the media and she was released soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s threat to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any efforts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “considerable personnel”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

She advocates for requests for the whales to be transferred immediately from the facility, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In late September, Canada’s government official denied a bid to send the whales to China.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a continued life in confinement and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister stated. “As the public, we know that whales should be in the wild, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing permit an export that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments indicate a wider incorrect perception of the facts of existence for belugas born in captivity.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a resolution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of food for Inuit communities.

A planned sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which now received regulatory clearance, has been most controversial. The planned site, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain hopeful that it could in time represent a permanent solution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the possibility of a refuge represents a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible plan in the near future.

Charles Vinick, director of the sanctuary project, said the location will simulate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|