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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a big but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a struggle between a shuttered park, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned debate over their future often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled attraction near the famous falls where they are kept warned to end their lives unless the authorities covers the cost of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and group interactions suggest they are deeply intelligent mammals – something Kristy Burgess discovered first-hand.

Burgess spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that involved gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. 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 nevertheless astounded by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She cultivated a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing natures.

“One whale selected me. The other required effort,” she said. “Both altered the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales progressed against a context of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her three years at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, died. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the facility ascribes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say indicates the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The park did not open to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand results of the shutdown. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not reply to a questionnaire, but in the past claimed: “The whales … receive far higher quality medical attention and constant supervision than any person in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in early March following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the park thought details of the death were leaked to the news outlets and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the facility’s warning to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any plans to put down even a one beluga would require “considerable manpower”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

She backs requests for the whales to be transferred right away from the park, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a bid to send the whales to China.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a ongoing existence in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As society, we know that whales belong in the sea, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing permit an export that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments indicate a broader misunderstanding of the realities of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers attempt to find a answer, ideas have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for local populations.

A proposed protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has proven most controversial. The prospective facility, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Advocates remain positive that it could ultimately represent a long term answer for some of the whales.

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

Different voices say the possibility of a protected habitat represents a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a workable approach in the near future.

An official, leader of the initiative, said the facility will simulate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|