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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a tussle between a defunct facility, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated discussion over their destiny often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the people who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are housed threatened to put them down unless the government covers the cost of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and social skills point to they are highly cognitive animals – something one caretaker discovered directly.

Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a position that required gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Establishing 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 vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She cultivated a particular love for a pair of whales with opposing personalities.

“Eve selected me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Both changed the way I understand relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales evolved against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her three years at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility links to natural mortality, but which advocates say points to the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The park did not admit visitors to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly effects of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and swim around with pieces in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not respond to a request for comment, but earlier asserted: “The whales … get far better health care and around the clock care than any individual in the Britain, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the park in early March following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility believed information of the incident were shared to the media and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in distress. She says the facility’s warning to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any plans to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “significant manpower”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

She backs calls for the whales to be transferred immediately from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a request to export the whales to China.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a ongoing situation in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As Canadians, we know that belugas belong in the ocean, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing approve an export that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements indicate a wider lack of awareness of the circumstances of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a solution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of food for local populations.

A suggested sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received official endorsement, has been most controversial. The planned location, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain optimistic that it could in time represent a sustainable solution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ future.

Others say the prospect of a sanctuary reflects a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible solution in the short term.

An official, director of the initiative, said the site will mimic the cognitive activities and diet the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|