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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a tussle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated controversy over their fate often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities blocked the sale of the belugas to China, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to end their lives unless the authorities pays for the expense of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused 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, cognitive challenges and communal behavior point to they are deeply intelligent creatures – something a former trainer discovered directly.

She spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that involved building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She developed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing temperaments.

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

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales evolved against a background of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her time at the facility, 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 park links to expected lifespan, but which activists say reflects the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The facility did not operate to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes results of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and swim around with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not reply to a questionnaire, but in the past claimed: “The whales … receive far superior medical attention and around the clock care than any individual in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in early March following the passing of Eos, an sick beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the park suspected information of the death were shared to the press and she was fired not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left her and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s warning to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any attempts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “immense staff”, equipment and machinery.

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

Burgess advocates for calls for the whales to be removed immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a proposal to export the whales to China.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a perpetual life in captivity and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official commented. “As society, we know that whales should be in the sea, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing permit an relocation that would prolong the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks indicate a wider misunderstanding of the circumstances of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers struggle to find a solution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A proposed refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has proven contentious. The planned facility, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a sustainable resolution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the idea of a protected habitat reflects a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable approach in the coming months.

The project lead, leader of the plan, said the location will simulate the mental engagement and diet the whales get from trainers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|