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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable little “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a tussle between a closed attraction, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned controversy over their fate often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been closely studied by the humans who see them each day.

After the federal government blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling attraction near Niagara Falls where they are held stated it would consider to put them down unless the authorities covers the upkeep of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and social skills indicate they are highly cognitive animals – something a former trainer observed personally.

Burgess spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that entailed earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“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. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so surprised by the nuances and quirks in their characters. She cultivated a particular love for two female belugas with contrasting temperaments.

“One whale chose me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Both altered the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

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

During her tenure at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a toll which the park attributes to age-related causes, but which activists say points to the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not open to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes results of the shutdown. “Structural materials is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and swim around with fragments in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not respond to a inquiry, but earlier stated: “The whales … receive far higher quality medical attention and around the clock care than any human in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in early March following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the park believed information of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was released shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left her and other caretakers in distress. She says the park’s threat to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “significant staff”, equipment and machinery.

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

Burgess backs calls for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a proposal to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a perpetual situation in enclosure and a return to display for amusement,” the official wrote. “As society, we know that marine mammals should be in the wild, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing authorize an export that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements reflect a broader incorrect perception of the facts of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities attempt to find a solution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a important part of sustenance for local populations.

A proposed protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has proven highly debated. The future location, which includes extensive space of protected cove, is not yet built. Supporters remain positive that it could in time represent a long term solution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the possibility of a sanctuary indicates a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a workable solution in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, head of the plan, said the site will replicate the mental engagement and nutrition the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|