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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an cute little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned debate over their future often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been carefully observed by the people who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities prevented the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near the famous falls where they are held warned to euthanize them unless the federal government covers the upkeep of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that demand, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, problem solving and group interactions suggest they are highly cognitive animals – something one caretaker learned first-hand.

She spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that required building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

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

“Eve selected me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “They transformed the way I understand relationships.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, died. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility attributes to age-related causes, but which activists say points to the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The facility did not open to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the closure. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and swim around with fragments in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not respond to a request for comment, but earlier asserted: “The whales … receive far higher quality health care and 24/7 attention than any human in the Britain, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in the spring following the death of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the facility thought details of the incident were leaked to the press and she was fired soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left her and staff members in despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any plans to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “considerable manpower”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

She backs calls for the whales to be removed promptly from the facility, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a request to transfer the whales to China.

“Allowing the request would have meant a ongoing situation in captivity and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister stated. “As the public, we know that whales should be in the sea, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in good conscience permit an relocation that would continue the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements reflect a wider misunderstanding of the realities of life for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials work to find a answer, ideas have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A planned protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received government approval, has proven contentious. The prospective location, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Advocates remain positive that it could eventually represent a permanent resolution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the idea of a sanctuary indicates a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a feasible solution in the near future.

An official, head of the sanctuary project, said the site will mimic the mental engagement and nutrition the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|