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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable small “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

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

But those closest to the whales say the intense debate over their future often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been closely studied by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities disallowed the sale of the belugas to China, the controversial amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are held threatened to euthanize them unless the authorities pays for the upkeep of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and social skills point to they are deeply intelligent mammals – something Kristy Burgess learned directly.

She spent several years as a beluga trainer, a role that entailed earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the outset, 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 exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so astounded by the nuances and unique traits in their characters. She cultivated a special affection for a pair of whales with different personalities.

“Eve chose me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Each changed the way I perceive connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales progressed against a context of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her time at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility attributes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say indicates the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The facility did not open to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand results of the shutdown. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and move about with fragments in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not comment to a inquiry, but previously claimed: “The whales … get far better veterinary services and constant attention than any human in the UK, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in the spring following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility thought particulars of the incident were leaked to the media and she was let go not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and current and former trainers in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any plans to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “immense staff”, vehicles and machinery.

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

Burgess backs requests for the whales to be taken immediately from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In recent months, the nation’s government official denied a request to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a perpetual existence in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals belong in the ocean, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience approve an relocation that would continue the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements indicate a more general lack of awareness of the facts of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a solution, proposals have been put forward, 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 nourishment for local populations.

A suggested protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received official endorsement, has been contentious. The planned facility, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a permanent answer for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the possibility of a sanctuary represents a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable plan in the short term.

An official, head of the initiative, said the site will mimic the mental engagement and diet the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|