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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute small “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a tussle between a shuttered park, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their future often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities disallowed the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near the famous falls where they are held stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the federal government funds the upkeep of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and communal behavior point to they are remarkably smart mammals – something a former trainer learned first-hand.

She spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that entailed gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so astounded by the nuances and quirks in their characters. She cultivated a deep bond for a pair of whales with contrasting natures.

“One whale chose me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Both changed the way I perceive bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

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

During her three years at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the park links to age-related causes, but which advocates say points to the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The facility did not operate to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and swim around with pieces in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not comment to a request for comment, but in the past claimed: “The whales … get far superior medical attention and around the clock supervision than any human in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in early March following the death of Eos, an sick beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park believed details of the incident were shared to the media and she was let go soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the park’s threat to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any attempts to put down even a single beluga would require “immense staff”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

She supports demands for the whales to be transferred immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In recent months, Canada’s government official rejected a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a perpetual situation in captivity and a return to display for amusement,” the official stated. “As the public, we know that marine mammals should be in the sea, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in good conscience permit an relocation that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks indicate a wider misunderstanding of the facts of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities work to find a answer, proposals have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for local populations.

A proposed protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received official endorsement, has proven highly debated. The future facility, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a long term resolution for a number of the whales.

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

Different voices say the prospect of a sanctuary reflects a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable plan in the short term.

An official, leader of the plan, said the site will replicate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|