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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable small “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a tussle between a shuttered park, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense debate over their fate often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled attraction near Niagara Falls where they are housed threatened to put them down unless the federal government pays for the cost of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that demand, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and social skills suggest they are highly cognitive creatures – something a former trainer observed directly.

Burgess spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a position that involved earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so astounded by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She developed a special affection for two female belugas with contrasting temperaments.

“One whale chose me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Both transformed the way I perceive connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales evolved against a background of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her three years at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park attributes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say indicates the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The park did not operate to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly effects of the shutdown. “Concrete is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and swim around with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but earlier stated: “The whales … get far better medical attention and 24/7 attention than any individual in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in the spring following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the park believed particulars of the death were leaked to the press and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and other caretakers in anguish. She says the park’s threat to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any plans to euthanize even a single beluga would require “considerable personnel”, vehicles and machinery.

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

She supports demands for the whales to be removed immediately from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a request to send the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the request would have meant a continued situation in captivity and a return to public entertainment,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that whales belong in the wild, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing permit an relocation that would continue the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments indicate a wider lack of awareness of the facts of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As authorities work to find a answer, ideas have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A planned refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received official endorsement, has proven highly debated. The prospective site, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, is not yet built. Supporters remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a permanent resolution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the prospect of a sanctuary represents a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a workable approach in the coming months.

An official, head of the plan, said the site will mimic the mental engagement and nutrition the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|