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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but guardian-like companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a disagreement between a shuttered park, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned debate over their destiny often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government prevented the export of the belugas to China, the embattled attraction near Niagara Falls where they are held threatened to euthanize them unless the government funds the upkeep of their care. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and communal behavior point to they are highly cognitive animals – something Kristy Burgess observed first-hand.

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

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

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the nuances and unique traits in their dispositions. She formed a deep bond for two female belugas with different natures.

“Eve chose me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “They changed the way I view relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales evolved against a background of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park ascribes to age-related causes, but which activists say indicates the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The facility did not admit visitors to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the shutdown. “Concrete is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not reply to a questionnaire, but in the past stated: “The whales … get far superior veterinary services and constant attention than any person in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in the spring following the passing of Eos, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the park believed information of the incident were shared to the press and she was released shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and other caretakers in anguish. She says the park’s threat to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any efforts to euthanize even a one beluga would require “significant manpower”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

Burgess backs demands for the whales to be taken promptly from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In recent months, Canada’s government official rejected a bid to export the whales to China.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a perpetual life in enclosure and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As the public, we know that whales belong in the wild, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing permit an relocation that would continue the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments indicate a wider misunderstanding of the realities of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities struggle to find a answer, proposals have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a key source of food for Inuit communities.

A suggested refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which now received official endorsement, has been contentious. The future facility, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Proponents remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a long term answer for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the possibility of a sanctuary represents a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a viable plan in the near future.

An official, head of the sanctuary project, said the location will simulate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|