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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable small “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a disagreement between a defunct facility, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the intense debate over their fate often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the people who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities blocked the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are kept warned to put them down unless the federal government funds the expense of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and social skills point to they are remarkably smart mammals – something a former trainer discovered personally.

She spent three years as a beluga trainer, a job that required gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the nuances and unique traits in their characters. She formed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing temperaments.

“Eve selected me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “They altered the way I perceive relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales developed against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her time at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park links to natural mortality, but which advocates say indicates the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The park did not open to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the shutdown. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and navigate with fragments in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but earlier asserted: “The whales … receive far better medical attention and constant supervision than any person in the Britain, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in early March following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility thought details of the incident were shared to the news outlets and she was released not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left her and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s warning to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any plans to euthanize even a single beluga would require “considerable manpower”, 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 taken right away from the park, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a request to send the whales to China.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a continued life in confinement and a return to public entertainment,” the minister stated. “As the public, we know that whales belong in the sea, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing permit an export that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks reflect a more general incorrect perception of the realities of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a resolution, proposals have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of food for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received official endorsement, has been contentious. The future site, which includes extensive space of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain positive that it could in time represent a long term resolution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the possibility of a sanctuary indicates a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible solution in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, leader of the initiative, said the facility will mimic the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|