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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming small “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a struggle between a shuttered park, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the heated controversy over their fate often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been closely studied by the people who work with them regularly.

After the federal government blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are housed threatened to put them down unless the government pays for the expense of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, problem solving and social skills point to they are deeply intelligent mammals – something a former trainer learned first-hand.

She spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a role that entailed earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so amazed by the nuances and unique traits in their dispositions. She developed a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting natures.

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

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales evolved against a background of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the facility attributes to expected lifespan, but which activists say indicates the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not operate to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the cessation. “Structural materials is falling apart from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and navigate with pieces in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but previously claimed: “The whales … obtain far better veterinary services and constant care 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 Eos, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the park thought information of the incident were shared to the press and she was fired soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and staff members in despair. She says the park’s threat to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any plans to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “immense personnel”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

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

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a request to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the request would have meant a continued existence in enclosure and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official commented. “As society, we know that whales belong in the ocean, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience permit an relocation that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments indicate a broader misunderstanding of the realities of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities struggle to find a solution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has proven most controversial. The planned facility, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a permanent resolution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the idea of a refuge indicates a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a viable approach in the near future.

The project lead, director of the plan, said the facility will mimic the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales get from trainers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|