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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an charming small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

A group of 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 most familiar with the whales say the impassioned controversy over their destiny often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who see them each day.

After the federal government prevented the export of the belugas to China, the controversial amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are held threatened to put them down unless the authorities covers the cost of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and communal behavior suggest they are deeply intelligent mammals – something Kristy Burgess learned personally.

She spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a job that required gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so amazed by the details and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She developed a deep bond for a pair of whales with opposing personalities.

“One whale accepted me. The other required effort,” she said. “They altered the way I understand connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her connection 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 single orca, Kiska, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility ascribes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say indicates the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The park did not operate to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly consequences of the shutdown. “Concrete is breaking off from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not comment to a request for comment, but earlier asserted: “The whales … obtain far superior medical attention and 24/7 attention than any individual in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in recent months following the demise of a beluga, an sick beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the park thought details of the incident were shared to the press and she was released not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any plans to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “significant staff”, trucks and heavy equipment.

“It cannot happen in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess backs demands for the whales to be taken right away from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In late September, the nation’s government official denied a request to send the whales to China.

“To approve the application would have meant a continued situation in captivity and a return to display for amusement,” the official commented. “As Canadians, we know that belugas belong in the ocean, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in good conscience authorize an export that would continue the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reflect a more general lack of awareness of the circumstances of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As authorities attempt to find a resolution, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of food for local populations.

A proposed protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which has received regulatory clearance, has shown to be most controversial. The prospective facility, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain positive that it could in time represent a long term answer for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the prospect of a refuge represents a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible plan in the coming months.

The project lead, head of the initiative, said the site will simulate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|