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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable small “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a tussle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense controversy over their future often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the people who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government prevented the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled facility near the famous falls where they are kept warned to end their lives unless the federal government funds the expense of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that request, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and communal behavior suggest they are deeply intelligent animals – something a former trainer learned personally.

She spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that involved earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She developed a particular love for a pair of whales with opposing temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “They changed the way I understand bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales progressed against a background of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her tenure at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, died. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility ascribes to age-related causes, but which advocates say indicates the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not open to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly consequences of the shutdown. “Concrete is falling apart from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and swim around with pieces in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not reply to a request for comment, but earlier claimed: “The whales … obtain far better health care and 24/7 attention than any human in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in recent months following the death of Eos, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the facility believed particulars of the death were shared to the media and she was let go soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left her and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “significant personnel”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

She supports calls for the whales to be removed immediately from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a bid to send the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the request would have meant a ongoing existence in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official wrote. “As society, we know that marine mammals belong in the sea, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing permit an export that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments indicate a broader misunderstanding of the realities of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities work to find a resolution, ideas have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A planned refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which now received regulatory clearance, has been highly debated. The prospective location, which includes extensive space of protected cove, is not yet built. Proponents remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a sustainable resolution for some of the whales.

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

Some experts say the prospect of a protected habitat represents a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible solution in the short term.

An official, head of the initiative, said the location will simulate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|