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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but fiercely protective companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a tussle between a closed attraction, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned discussion over their future often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government prevented the export of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the government funds the expense of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and group interactions point to they are deeply intelligent mammals – something one caretaker observed first-hand.

Burgess spent several years as a whale caretaker, a role that entailed building relationships of the marine predators.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so surprised by the details and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She cultivated a special affection for two female belugas with contrasting natures.

“Eve selected me. The other required effort,” she said. “Both changed the way I view connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s connection with the whales progressed against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her three years at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a toll which the park links to expected lifespan, but which advocates say points to the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not open to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the closure. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and move about with fragments in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but previously stated: “The whales … get far superior health care and 24/7 supervision than any person in the UK, or anywhere else.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in the spring following the death of a beluga, an sick beluga the park staff had to euthanize. She said the facility believed particulars of the death were shared to the news outlets and she was fired not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left Burgess and other caretakers in distress. She says the facility’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any plans to put down even a single beluga would require “considerable staff”, equipment and machinery.

“It cannot happen in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess supports requests for the whales to be removed immediately from the facility, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister denied a request to send the whales to China.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a perpetual situation in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As the public, we know that belugas are meant for the sea, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience approve an transfer that would continue the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks indicate a wider lack of awareness of the facts of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “People 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, suggestions have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has proven most controversial. The planned facility, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain optimistic that it could in time represent a sustainable resolution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Some experts say the prospect of a refuge indicates a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable solution in the short term.

Charles Vinick, director of the sanctuary project, said the location will replicate the cognitive activities and diet the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|