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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have become pawns in a tussle between a shuttered park, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated discussion over their destiny often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are housed warned to end their lives unless the government covers the cost of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has refused that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, problem solving and group interactions indicate they are remarkably smart creatures – something Kristy Burgess observed personally.

Burgess spent several years as a whale caretaker, a job that entailed earning the trust of the marine predators.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the nuances and unique traits in their characters. She developed a particular love for a pair of whales with different temperaments.

“Eve chose me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “They changed the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s relationship with the whales developed against a background of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her time at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the facility attributes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say indicates the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The facility did not admit visitors to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand results of the cessation. “Concrete is deteriorating from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but in the past claimed: “The whales … receive far better health care and constant attention than any individual in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in early March following the death of Eos, an sick beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the park thought details of the death were leaked to the news outlets and she was let go not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “immense manpower”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

She backs requests for the whales to be transferred immediately from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

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

“To approve the request would have meant a continued existence in confinement and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals are meant for the wild, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an export that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments indicate a wider lack of awareness of the circumstances of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As authorities struggle to find a resolution, proposals have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for local populations.

A proposed refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has shown to be most controversial. The planned facility, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Supporters remain hopeful that it could in time represent a long term solution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the possibility of a refuge represents a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable approach in the coming months.

An official, director of the sanctuary project, said the site will mimic the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales get from trainers, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|