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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” – is a large but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a struggle between a defunct facility, public officials and welfare campaigners.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense discussion over their future often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the federal government prevented the transfer of the belugas to China, the embattled attraction near Niagara Falls where they are held warned to put them down unless the federal government pays for the expense of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that request, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and group interactions point to they are deeply intelligent animals – something one caretaker discovered first-hand.

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

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She formed a particular love for a pair of whales with contrasting personalities.

“Eve accepted me. The other required effort,” she said. “They changed the way I perceive bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales developed against a background of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her tenure at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single killer whale, Kiska, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility ascribes to natural mortality, but which activists say reflects the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The facility did not open to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes effects of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the pools because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and swim around with chunks in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but previously stated: “The whales … receive far superior veterinary services and 24/7 care than any human in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the park in the spring following the passing of Eos, an sick beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the facility suspected particulars of the death were disclosed to the news outlets and she was released not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left her and other caretakers in anguish. She says the facility’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any attempts to put down even a one beluga would require “considerable staff”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess supports demands for the whales to be removed immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister rejected a proposal to export the whales to China.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a perpetual existence in enclosure and a return to display for amusement,” the official wrote. “As the public, we know that marine mammals are meant for the sea, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience permit an relocation that would continue the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks reveal a broader misunderstanding of the circumstances of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in captivity and they will need human care for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a solution, proposals have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received regulatory clearance, has shown to be most controversial. The planned location, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, is not yet built. Supporters remain positive that it could in time represent a sustainable solution for eight of the whales.

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

Some experts say the idea of a sanctuary indicates a changing attitudes away from captive facilities and could represent a workable approach in the near future.

Charles Vinick, head of the plan, said the site will simulate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales get from specialists, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|