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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a tussle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the intense debate over their fate often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities blocked the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are kept stated it would consider to put them down unless the federal government funds the expense of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and social skills point to they are remarkably smart creatures – something one caretaker discovered first-hand.

She spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that involved building relationships of the marine predators.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the subtleties and unique traits in their personalities. She developed a special affection for a pair of whales with different personalities.

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

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales progressed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her three years at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, died. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the facility ascribes to expected lifespan, but which activists say points to the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not open to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and swim around with fragments in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not comment to a questionnaire, but earlier asserted: “The whales … obtain far better veterinary services and 24/7 care than any human in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in recent months following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the facility thought particulars of the incident were shared to the media and she was let go not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left her and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any plans to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “immense manpower”, vehicles and machinery.

“There’s no way in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess advocates for requests for the whales to be removed promptly from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In late September, Canada’s government official rejected a proposal to transfer the whales to China.

“Granting the request would have meant a continued life in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that belugas should be in the ocean, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience permit an transfer that would prolong the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments indicate a broader incorrect perception of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a answer, ideas have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of nourishment for local populations.

A planned refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received official endorsement, has shown to be most controversial. The future location, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain positive that it could eventually represent a sustainable resolution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the possibility of a refuge indicates a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a workable plan in the short term.

The project lead, director of the sanctuary project, said the location will mimic the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales get from specialists, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|