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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a disagreement between a shuttered park, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned debate over their fate often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities blocked the sale of the belugas to China, the controversial amusement park near the famous falls where they are housed stated it would consider to end their lives unless the authorities covers the cost of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and group interactions indicate they are deeply intelligent creatures – something one caretaker discovered personally.

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

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so amazed by the nuances and unique traits in their personalities. She developed a deep bond for a pair of whales with different personalities.

“One whale accepted me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “They changed the way I understand bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her tenure at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the park ascribes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say points to the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly results of the closure. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a request for comment, but in the past claimed: “The whales … get far superior medical attention and constant supervision than any individual in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in the spring following the death of a beluga, an unwell beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the facility thought information of the incident were disclosed to the press and she was released shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left her and other caretakers in despair. She says the park’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any attempts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “immense staff”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

She advocates for demands for the whales to be taken promptly from the park, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a request to send the whales to China.

“Allowing the application would have meant a ongoing life in captivity and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that whales should be in the wild, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience permit an relocation that would continue the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

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

“The society needs to realize 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. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials work to find a resolution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of food for Inuit communities.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which now received government approval, has been most controversial. The future facility, which includes extensive space of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a sustainable resolution for eight of the whales.

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

Some experts say the idea of a refuge represents a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a viable solution in the near future.

An official, director of the initiative, said the location will simulate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|