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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable small “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a struggle between a defunct facility, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated controversy over their destiny often fails to consider the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been closely studied by the people who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government blocked the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled attraction near Niagara Falls where they are housed stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the authorities covers the cost of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and communal behavior suggest they are highly cognitive mammals – something Kristy Burgess discovered personally.

She spent several years as a beluga trainer, a job that required gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She formed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting personalities.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “They altered the way I view relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

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

During her three years at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility ascribes to age-related causes, but which activists say points to the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not open to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the shutdown. “Structural materials is falling apart from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and move about with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not reply to a request for comment, but previously claimed: “The whales … get far higher quality medical attention and 24/7 care than any individual in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in early March following the passing of Eos, an sick beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the park thought details of the incident were leaked to the media and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left her and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s warning to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any attempts to put down even a individual beluga would require “significant manpower”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

She supports requests for the whales to be taken right away from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a bid to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the request would have meant a continued life in confinement and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that belugas should be in the sea, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience permit an export that would continue the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements reflect a more general incorrect perception of the circumstances of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a solution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of sustenance for local populations.

A planned protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received regulatory clearance, has been contentious. The planned site, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Supporters remain positive that it could in time represent a long term resolution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the prospect of a protected habitat reflects a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a workable plan in the coming months.

The project lead, director of the initiative, said the site will mimic the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|