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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable small “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a disagreement between a shuttered park, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the intense discussion over their destiny often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the national authorities blocked the export of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to euthanize them unless the authorities funds the cost of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, problem solving and group interactions suggest they are remarkably smart animals – something one caretaker observed directly.

Burgess spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a job that entailed gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency 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 open with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so surprised by the subtleties and quirks in their characters. She developed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with different temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. The other required effort,” she said. “Each altered the way I perceive connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales evolved against a background of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her time at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility ascribes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say points to the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The facility did not admit visitors to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly consequences of the shutdown. “Concrete is falling apart from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and move about with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not comment to a questionnaire, but in the past stated: “The whales … obtain far superior medical attention and around the clock supervision than any person in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in recent months following the death of a beluga, an unwell beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected particulars of the incident were shared to the press and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in anguish. She says the facility’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any plans to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “significant personnel”, equipment and machinery.

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

Burgess backs demands for the whales to be removed promptly from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

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

“Granting the request would have meant a ongoing life in enclosure and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As the public, we know that belugas should be in the ocean, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing permit an export that would continue the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks reveal a more general incorrect perception of the facts of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials attempt to find a solution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a important part of food for Inuit communities.

A planned protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has shown to be contentious. The prospective site, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Supporters remain positive that it could ultimately represent a permanent solution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the possibility of a refuge represents a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a viable approach in the short term.

An official, head of the sanctuary project, said the facility will mimic the mental engagement and nutrition the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|