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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a closed attraction, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the intense controversy over their future often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the Canadian government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are held stated it would consider to put them down unless the authorities funds the expense of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and communal behavior point to they are remarkably smart animals – something Kristy Burgess observed directly.

She spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that required building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the details and quirks in their dispositions. She formed a deep bond for a pair of whales with different natures.

“Eve selected me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They changed the way I understand relationships.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her tenure at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility ascribes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say reflects the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The facility did not open to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the shutdown. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and navigate with pieces in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not respond to a request for comment, but in the past asserted: “The whales … receive far better health care and 24/7 supervision than any human in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in the spring following the death of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the facility suspected details of the death were shared to the news outlets and she was fired not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any efforts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “significant staff”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

Burgess advocates for requests for the whales to be taken right away from the facility, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official rejected a bid to export the whales to China.

“Granting the application would have meant a continued existence in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official wrote. “As society, we know that whales are meant for the ocean, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in good conscience authorize an relocation that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have experienced.”

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

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials attempt to find a resolution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of food for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received official endorsement, has proven highly debated. The future site, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Advocates remain hopeful that it could in time represent a permanent solution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the possibility of a protected habitat represents a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable approach in the coming months.

The project lead, head of the initiative, said the site will mimic the mental engagement and nutrition the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|