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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable small “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a tussle between a closed attraction, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the intense debate over their destiny often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government blocked the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling facility near Niagara Falls where they are held warned to euthanize them unless the authorities pays for the cost of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and communal behavior indicate they are remarkably smart animals – something Kristy Burgess observed first-hand.

She spent three years as a whale caretaker, a job that entailed earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the outset, 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 gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so amazed by the nuances and unique traits in their characters. She formed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting personalities.

“One whale chose me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Each transformed the way I perceive relationships.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

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

During her three years at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility attributes to age-related causes, but which activists say reflects the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The facility did not open to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly effects of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and swim around with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not reply to a request for comment, but in the past claimed: “The whales … receive far higher quality health care and 24/7 care than any individual in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in recent months following the demise of Eos, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the park suspected particulars of the incident were leaked to the media and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and staff members in despair. She says the facility’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any plans to put down even a single beluga would require “considerable personnel”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

Burgess backs demands for the whales to be transferred promptly from the park, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a request to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the request would have meant a perpetual life in enclosure and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As society, we know that marine mammals are meant for the wild, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing approve an export that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements indicate a broader incorrect perception of the circumstances of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As authorities work to find a solution, proposals have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of food for Inuit communities.

A proposed refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received government approval, has proven most controversial. The planned site, which includes a large area of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain positive that it could in time represent a sustainable solution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the idea of a protected habitat represents a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a workable solution in the coming months.

The project lead, leader of the sanctuary project, said the facility will replicate the mental engagement and diet the whales get from specialists, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|