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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a disagreement between a shuttered park, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated controversy over their destiny often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the people who work with them regularly.

After the federal government prevented the sale of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are housed threatened to euthanize them unless the government covers the upkeep of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and social skills indicate they are highly cognitive animals – something a former trainer discovered personally.

She spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that involved gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so amazed by the details and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She formed a deep bond for a pair of whales with contrasting personalities.

“One whale selected me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “They changed the way I view connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her three years at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility ascribes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say points to the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The facility did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the pools because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but earlier claimed: “The whales … obtain far higher quality health care and constant supervision than any individual in the Britain, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in the spring following the demise of a beluga, an ailing beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park believed details of the incident were leaked to the press and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the facility’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any plans to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “significant personnel”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

Burgess advocates for calls for the whales to be removed promptly from the facility, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official rejected a proposal to transfer the whales to China.

“To approve the application would have meant a perpetual existence in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister stated. “As society, we know that marine mammals are meant for the ocean, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience approve an export that would continue the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments reveal a broader misunderstanding of the facts of life for belugas born in captivity.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials struggle to find a solution, ideas have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has shown to be most controversial. The prospective site, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Proponents remain positive that it could in time represent a permanent resolution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess 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 protected habitat reflects a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a workable solution in the near future.

The project lead, director of the plan, said the site will simulate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|