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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a disagreement between a defunct facility, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense controversy over their future often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the people who work with them regularly.

After the federal government blocked the sale of the belugas to China, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to euthanize them unless the authorities pays for the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and group interactions point to they are deeply intelligent creatures – something a former trainer learned first-hand.

She spent three years as a whale caretaker, a role that entailed earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She developed a deep bond for a pair of whales with opposing temperaments.

“One whale accepted me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Both changed the way I perceive relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales progressed against a background of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the park ascribes to natural mortality, but which advocates say indicates the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly effects of the shutdown. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not respond to a request for comment, but earlier claimed: “The whales … get far higher quality medical attention and constant care than any individual in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in early March following the demise of a beluga, an ailing beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park thought particulars of the incident were leaked to the news outlets and she was released shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in distress. She says the facility’s warning to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any plans to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “considerable staff”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

“It cannot happen in hell the caretakers would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess advocates for requests for the whales to be removed immediately from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a proposal to send the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the application would have meant a ongoing situation in captivity and a return to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that whales belong in the ocean, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an transfer that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reveal a more general misunderstanding of the facts of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

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

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers struggle to find a solution, ideas have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A proposed protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received official endorsement, has shown to be most controversial. The future site, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain positive that it could in time represent a permanent answer for a number of the whales.

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

Others say the possibility of a protected habitat indicates a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a viable solution in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, director of the plan, said the location will mimic the mental engagement and feeding regimen 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|