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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a disagreement between a shuttered park, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their destiny often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the people who work with them regularly.

After the federal government disallowed the export 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 pays for the cost of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and social skills indicate they are remarkably smart creatures – something one caretaker learned personally.

Burgess spent three years as a beluga trainer, a job that entailed gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the details and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She formed a particular love for a pair of whales with contrasting natures.

“One whale chose me. The other required effort,” she said. “Each altered the way I perceive relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales evolved against a context of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her tenure at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, died. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park ascribes to age-related causes, but which advocates say reflects the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The park did not operate to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the shutdown. “Structural materials is breaking off from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and navigate with chunks in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not reply to a inquiry, but in the past claimed: “The whales … receive far higher quality health care and around the clock care than any person in the Britain, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the facility in early March following the demise of a beluga, an sick beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the facility suspected particulars of the death were leaked to the news outlets and she was released soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left her and current and former trainers in distress. She says the facility’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any plans to put down even a one beluga would require “immense personnel”, equipment and machinery.

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

She backs demands for the whales to be transferred promptly from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In recent months, the nation’s government official turned down a proposal to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a continued situation in confinement and a return to display for amusement,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that belugas should be in the wild, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an export that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks indicate a more general misunderstanding of the realities of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As officials work to find a solution, proposals have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of northern regions – where whales are a key source of food for local populations.

A planned sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received government approval, has proven contentious. The prospective location, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a long term resolution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Different voices say the idea of a refuge represents a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a viable solution in the coming months.

The project lead, head of the sanctuary project, said the location will simulate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales get from specialists, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|