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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a tussle between a shuttered park, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned controversy over their destiny often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the federal government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are housed stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the authorities pays for the cost of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and communal behavior indicate they are highly cognitive mammals – something Kristy Burgess observed first-hand.

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

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was even so astounded by the subtleties and quirks in their personalities. She formed a particular love for a pair of whales with contrasting natures.

“Eve chose me. The other demanded work,” she said. “They transformed the way I perceive connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales evolved against a background of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, died. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park links to natural mortality, but which advocates say indicates the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The facility did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes results of the cessation. “Concrete is deteriorating from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and navigate 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 higher quality medical attention and constant attention than any individual in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in the spring following the death of a beluga, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility thought particulars of the incident were shared to the news outlets and she was let go not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and current and former trainers in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “immense manpower”, trucks and heavy equipment.

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

She backs calls for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a bid to send the whales to China.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a ongoing life in captivity and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As the public, we know that belugas belong in the ocean, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in good conscience permit an relocation that would prolong the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements indicate a broader incorrect perception of the realities of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities struggle to find a resolution, proposals have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of food for local populations.

A planned protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received official endorsement, has been most controversial. The future facility, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Advocates remain optimistic that it could in time represent a permanent answer for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the prospect of a sanctuary reflects a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable plan in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, leader of the sanctuary project, said the site will mimic the cognitive activities and diet the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|