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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a tussle between a shuttered park, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned controversy over their fate often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the people who see them each day.

After the national authorities blocked the export of the belugas to China, the controversial attraction near Niagara Falls where they are held threatened to end their lives unless the government covers the cost of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and group interactions suggest they are deeply intelligent mammals – something one caretaker learned directly.

She spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that required gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the details and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She cultivated a deep bond for a pair of whales with different temperaments.

“Eve chose me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They transformed the way I view bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her relationship with the whales developed against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the facility attributes to age-related causes, but which activists say indicates the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The facility did not admit visitors to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly consequences of the shutdown. “Structural materials is breaking off from the pools because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not comment to a request for comment, but previously claimed: “The whales … get far higher quality health care and constant care than any individual in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in recent months following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park suspected information of the death were leaked to the news outlets and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and current and former trainers in distress. She says the facility’s warning to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any attempts to put down even a single beluga would require “immense staff”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

She backs requests for the whales to be removed right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In recent months, Canada’s government official denied a request to send the whales to China.

“Allowing the request would have meant a ongoing existence in captivity and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that belugas are meant for the wild, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an transfer that would prolong the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments indicate a broader misunderstanding of the circumstances of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers struggle to find a resolution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A planned protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received official endorsement, has proven most controversial. The future facility, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Proponents remain hopeful that it could in time represent a long term solution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the possibility of a protected habitat represents a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible plan in the near future.

Charles Vinick, head of the sanctuary project, said the site will simulate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|