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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute little “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a tussle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated discussion over their future often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been closely studied by the people who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept warned to put them down unless the federal government pays for the cost of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and communal behavior indicate they are deeply intelligent mammals – something a former trainer observed personally.

She spent three years as a whale caretaker, a position that required gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the start, 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 extraordinary and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the subtleties and quirks in their dispositions. She cultivated a deep bond for two female belugas with opposing natures.

“Eve accepted me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Both transformed the way I perceive bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales evolved against a context of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, died. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility attributes to age-related causes, but which advocates say reflects the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The park did not operate to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly results of the cessation. “Concrete is falling apart from the pools because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but in the past stated: “The whales … obtain far higher quality health care and constant attention than any person in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the park in early March following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility thought particulars of the death were shared to the press and she was released soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left her and staff members in distress. 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 euthanize even a one beluga would require “significant personnel”, trucks and machinery.

“There’s no way in hell the staff would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess backs requests for the whales to be transferred right away from the facility, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

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

“To approve the application would have meant a perpetual existence in enclosure and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals should be in the wild, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing permit an relocation that would prolong the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks reveal a more general lack of awareness of the realities of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a resolution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A planned sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has proven contentious. The planned site, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a long term answer for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the idea of a refuge represents a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible solution in the coming months.

An official, leader of the plan, said the facility will simulate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales get from trainers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|