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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute little “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a tussle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense discussion over their future often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities disallowed the transfer of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are housed threatened to put them down unless the federal government covers the upkeep of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that demand, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and social skills indicate they are remarkably smart animals – something a former trainer learned first-hand.

Burgess spent three years as a beluga trainer, a job that involved building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the nuances and quirks in their characters. She developed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing personalities.

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

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s relationship with the whales progressed against a background of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, died. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility links to age-related causes, but which advocates say indicates the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The facility did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly results of the cessation. “Concrete is breaking off from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and navigate with fragments in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not comment to a questionnaire, but in the past claimed: “The whales … receive far higher quality medical attention and 24/7 care than any individual in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in recent months following the passing of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the park suspected particulars of the incident were shared to the media and she was let go not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the facility’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any plans to put down even a single beluga would require “significant staff”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

She supports demands for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In recent months, Canada’s government official rejected a bid to send the whales to China.

“Allowing the application would have meant a perpetual life in confinement and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that belugas should be in the sea, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing authorize an export that would prolong the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s statements reveal a broader lack of awareness of the facts of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers attempt to find a answer, suggestions have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for local populations.

A planned protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received regulatory clearance, has shown to be contentious. The prospective location, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain hopeful that it could in time represent a permanent resolution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the prospect of a refuge represents a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible approach in the coming months.

An official, leader of the plan, said the location will mimic the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|