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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable small “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a struggle between a shuttered park, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated discussion over their fate often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the people who work with them regularly.

After the federal government blocked the export of the belugas to China, the embattled amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are held warned to put them down unless the authorities pays for the cost of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has denied that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and communal behavior indicate they are deeply intelligent mammals – something a former trainer learned first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a job that involved earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Building up those connections 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.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the subtleties and quirks in their dispositions. She developed a special affection for two female belugas with opposing natures.

“Eve selected me. The other required effort,” she said. “They changed the way I understand bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales progressed against a background of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her tenure at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the facility attributes to natural mortality, but which advocates say points to the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The park did not open to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the cessation. “Structural materials is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not reply to a inquiry, but in the past stated: “The whales … receive far superior medical attention and 24/7 care than any individual in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in the spring following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the park suspected information of the death were shared to the press and she was released shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the park’s warning to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any efforts to put down even a one beluga would require “immense staff”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

She backs calls for the whales to be transferred promptly from the facility, with its failing enclosures and reduced personnel.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a proposal to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the application would have meant a ongoing life in enclosure and a return to display for amusement,” the official commented. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals should be in the sea, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing permit an export that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s statements reflect a more general incorrect perception of the circumstances of life for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a answer, ideas have been put forward, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of food for local populations.

A suggested protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received official endorsement, has been highly debated. The planned facility, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Proponents remain positive that it could ultimately represent a sustainable answer for eight of the whales.

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

Others say the idea of a sanctuary represents a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a workable approach in the short term.

Charles Vinick, head of the sanctuary project, said the location will mimic the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|