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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a struggle between a shuttered park, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the intense discussion over their future often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the people who see them each day.

After the federal government prevented the sale of the belugas to China, the controversial attraction near Niagara Falls where they are housed threatened to put them down unless the government funds the expense of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and group interactions point to they are highly cognitive mammals – something one caretaker discovered directly.

Burgess spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that required gaining confidence of the marine predators.

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

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so astounded by the details and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She cultivated a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing temperaments.

“One whale chose me. The other required effort,” she said. “Both transformed the way I understand connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales developed against a background of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, died. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility links to natural mortality, but which advocates say indicates the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The facility did not admit visitors to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes results of the shutdown. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not reply to a questionnaire, but in the past asserted: “The whales … receive far higher quality veterinary services and constant supervision than any person in the UK, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in recent months following the demise of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the park believed information of the death were shared to the news outlets and she was let go soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left her and other caretakers in distress. She says the park’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any efforts to put down even a individual beluga would require “immense manpower”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess advocates for demands for the whales to be taken immediately from the facility, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

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

“To approve the request would have meant a ongoing life in enclosure and a return to display for amusement,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals belong in the wild, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an relocation that would prolong the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements indicate a wider lack of awareness of the facts of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers struggle to find a solution, proposals have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a important part of sustenance for local populations.

A proposed protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which now received regulatory clearance, has proven most controversial. The prospective facility, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain positive that it could eventually represent a long term solution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the idea of a sanctuary reflects a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable approach in the near future.

An official, director of the initiative, said the facility will replicate the mental engagement and diet the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|