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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute small “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a struggle 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 future often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the federal government prevented the transfer of the belugas to China, the controversial facility near the famous falls where they are housed stated it would consider to end their lives unless the authorities covers the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and communal behavior indicate they are deeply intelligent creatures – something a former trainer discovered personally.

Burgess spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that involved building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the subtleties and unique traits in their dispositions. She formed a particular love for a pair of whales with contrasting personalities.

“One whale accepted me. The other demanded work,” she said. “They transformed the way I view bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales evolved against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

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

The facility did not admit visitors to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand results of the cessation. “Concrete is deteriorating from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and swim around with fragments in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not reply to a inquiry, but in the past claimed: “The whales … get far superior veterinary services and around the clock care than any human in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in the spring following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the facility thought information of the death were disclosed to the press and she was let go soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s threat to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “significant manpower”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

She supports requests for the whales to be taken promptly from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In recent months, Canada’s government official turned down a request to send the whales to China.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a continued existence in captivity and a return to public entertainment,” the minister commented. “As the public, we know that belugas are meant for the wild, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience approve an export that would prolong the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks reflect a more general lack of awareness of the circumstances of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials attempt to find a answer, ideas have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received official endorsement, has been most controversial. The planned facility, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain hopeful that it could in time represent a long term solution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ future.

Others say the idea of a sanctuary indicates a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a viable solution in the short term.

Charles Vinick, leader of the sanctuary project, said the site will replicate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|