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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a disagreement between a closed attraction, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned controversy over their destiny often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities prevented the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled attraction near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to end their lives unless the government pays for the expense of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and communal behavior point to they are deeply intelligent creatures – something one caretaker learned personally.

She spent three years as a beluga trainer, a role that involved gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the details and unique traits in their dispositions. She cultivated a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing natures.

“One whale chose me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “They altered the way I perceive bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s relationship with the whales progressed against a context of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, died. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the facility ascribes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say points to the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not open to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand effects of the shutdown. “Concrete is deteriorating from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and navigate with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not reply to a questionnaire, but earlier asserted: “The whales … obtain far higher quality medical attention and constant attention than any individual in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in recent months following the death of a beluga, an ailing beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the park suspected details of the death were leaked to the press and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any attempts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “considerable manpower”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

She backs calls for the whales to be taken right away from the park, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In late September, the nation’s government official rejected a proposal to send the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the request would have meant a ongoing life in captivity and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that marine mammals belong in the ocean, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience approve an export that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements indicate a wider lack of awareness of the realities of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities attempt to find a resolution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A planned sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has proven highly debated. The prospective site, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Advocates remain hopeful that it could in time represent a long term resolution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the possibility of a refuge represents a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible solution in the coming months.

An official, director of the sanctuary project, said the facility will mimic the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales get from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|