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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie is an cute little “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a tussle between a shuttered park, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the heated debate over their destiny often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the people who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities prevented the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling attraction near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to end their lives unless the authorities funds the cost of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and group interactions indicate they are remarkably smart animals – something one caretaker observed personally.

Burgess spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a position that required earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the details and unique traits in their characters. She formed a particular love for a pair of whales with opposing personalities.

“Eve chose me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “They transformed the way I perceive relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales developed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her time at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the park attributes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say indicates the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The facility did not open to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the cessation. “Structural materials is breaking off from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and navigate with fragments in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not reply to a inquiry, but in the past asserted: “The whales … obtain far better medical attention and around the clock attention than any person in the Britain, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in the spring following the passing of Eos, an unwell beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the facility thought information of the incident were leaked to the news outlets and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left her and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s threat to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any plans to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “immense staff”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

She advocates for demands for the whales to be transferred right away from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official turned down a bid to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the request would have meant a perpetual life in confinement and a return to display for amusement,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that whales should be in the ocean, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience approve an export that would continue the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements indicate a broader incorrect perception of the circumstances of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials struggle to find a solution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A proposed sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has proven highly debated. The prospective site, which includes a large area of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a sustainable answer for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the possibility of a refuge represents a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable approach in the near future.

An official, head of the plan, said the facility will replicate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|