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

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a struggle between a defunct facility, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned debate over their future often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the Canadian government prevented the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are housed stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the federal government funds the cost of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and communal behavior suggest they are remarkably smart mammals – something one caretaker observed directly.

Burgess spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a role that involved building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the nuances and quirks in their dispositions. She developed a deep bond for a pair of whales with different natures.

“Eve selected me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “They altered the way I view relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s relationship with the whales evolved against a context of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her tenure at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility ascribes to expected lifespan, but which activists say indicates the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The facility did not operate to the public over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the cessation. “Concrete is breaking off from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and navigate with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not comment to a questionnaire, but earlier stated: “The whales … receive far higher quality health care and 24/7 supervision than any human in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the park in early March following the demise of a beluga, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the park believed details of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was released soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left her and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s warning to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any attempts to put down even a one beluga would require “significant personnel”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

She supports requests for the whales to be transferred immediately from the facility, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a proposal to send the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a ongoing existence in enclosure and a return to display for amusement,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that whales are meant for the wild, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an transfer that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks indicate a broader incorrect perception of the realities of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials struggle to find a answer, suggestions have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a important part of nourishment for local populations.

A suggested refuge in the region of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has been highly debated. The future location, which includes extensive space of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a sustainable solution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the possibility of a sanctuary indicates a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a feasible approach in the coming months.

An official, director of the plan, said the location will mimic the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales get from specialists, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|