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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an charming small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been caught in a disagreement between a shuttered park, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned debate over their fate often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the people who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government blocked the transfer of the belugas to China, the embattled attraction near Niagara Falls where they are housed warned to end their lives unless the authorities covers the expense of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that demand, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and communal behavior indicate they are deeply intelligent mammals – something one caretaker discovered personally.

Burgess spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a position that involved building relationships of the marine predators.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She developed a special affection for two female belugas with different temperaments.

“Eve chose me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Each transformed the way I perceive relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales evolved against a background of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her tenure at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the park links to natural mortality, but which campaigners say reflects the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not open to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the shutdown. “Structural materials is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and move about with pieces in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not reply to a request for comment, but previously stated: “The whales … obtain far superior medical attention and 24/7 supervision than any human in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in early March following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the park suspected particulars of the incident were disclosed to the press and she was fired soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left her and staff members in despair. She says the park’s threat to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any attempts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “considerable personnel”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

Burgess advocates for calls for the whales to be transferred immediately from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a bid to export the whales to China.

“Granting the application would have meant a perpetual existence in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the official wrote. “As society, we know that marine mammals are meant for the ocean, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience permit an transfer that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s remarks reflect a broader misunderstanding of the realities of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers struggle to find a resolution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of food for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received government approval, has proven most controversial. The future site, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain positive that it could in time represent a permanent solution for some of the whales.

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

Different voices say the idea of a sanctuary represents a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a viable solution in the short term.

Charles Vinick, leader of the plan, said the facility will replicate the cognitive activities and diet the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|