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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable small “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a struggle between a closed attraction, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the intense controversy over their future often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the humans who see them each day.

After the Canadian government prevented the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial attraction near the famous falls where they are housed threatened to end their lives unless the authorities covers the expense of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and social skills point to they are deeply intelligent mammals – something one caretaker discovered personally.

Burgess spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a position that required gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very unsure 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.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so surprised by the details and quirks in their personalities. She cultivated a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with different natures.

“Eve chose me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “They transformed the way I perceive relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales developed against a background of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her tenure at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility links to expected lifespan, but which activists say indicates the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The facility did not open to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand effects of the shutdown. “Structural materials is breaking off from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and swim around with fragments in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not reply to a questionnaire, but previously claimed: “The whales … obtain far better health care and constant supervision than any human in the Britain, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in recent months following the demise of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the park thought details of the incident were shared to the press and she was released not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left her and other caretakers in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any plans to put down even a one beluga would require “considerable staff”, trucks and machinery.

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

Burgess supports demands for the whales to be removed immediately from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a proposal to export the whales to China.

“Granting the application would have meant a perpetual existence in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister wrote. “As society, we know that marine mammals are meant for the ocean, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience permit an relocation that would prolong the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements reveal a broader misunderstanding of the facts of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers struggle to find a solution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a key source of nourishment for local populations.

A proposed protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received regulatory clearance, has shown to be most controversial. The future site, which includes a large area of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a sustainable answer for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the prospect of a refuge indicates a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a feasible approach in the coming months.

The project lead, director of the plan, said the site will simulate the mental engagement and diet the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|