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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an adorable little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a tussle between a shuttered park, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the intense controversy over their fate often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been closely studied by the people who see them each day.

After the Canadian government prevented the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to euthanize them unless the authorities funds the upkeep of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that demand, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and social skills suggest they are deeply intelligent mammals – something one caretaker learned personally.

She spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that involved earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the details and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She developed a special affection for two female belugas with contrasting personalities.

“One whale accepted me. The other required effort,” she said. “Each altered the way I perceive bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s relationship with the whales evolved against a context of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her three years at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park attributes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say points to the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The facility did not operate to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand effects of the shutdown. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and swim around with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not respond to a questionnaire, but previously stated: “The whales … obtain far superior medical attention and 24/7 supervision than any human in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in early March following the demise of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the facility suspected details of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was released shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and current and former trainers in despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any efforts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “significant manpower”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess backs requests for the whales to be transferred immediately from the park, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a bid to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the request would have meant a continued situation in enclosure and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that whales belong in the wild, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing approve an transfer that would prolong the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s statements reflect a broader incorrect perception of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a solution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A planned sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has been contentious. The future site, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Advocates remain positive that it could ultimately represent a sustainable answer for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the idea of a refuge represents a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a viable approach in the short term.

Charles Vinick, head of the sanctuary project, said the site will mimic the mental engagement and nutrition the whales get from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|