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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a disagreement between a closed attraction, public officials and advocacy groups.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned controversy 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 see them each day.

After the federal government blocked the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to put them down unless the government covers the upkeep of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that demand, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and group interactions indicate they are deeply intelligent creatures – something Kristy Burgess discovered directly.

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

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She formed a particular love for two female belugas with different personalities.

“One whale chose me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “They altered the way I perceive bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales evolved against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her three years at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, died. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the park attributes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say reflects the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The facility did not open to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly effects of the shutdown. “Concrete is deteriorating from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and navigate with pieces in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not reply to a inquiry, but earlier asserted: “The whales … get far higher quality veterinary services and 24/7 supervision than any individual in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in the spring following the demise of a beluga, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the facility suspected details of the death were disclosed to the media and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left her and other caretakers in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” undertaking, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “considerable personnel”, vehicles and machinery.

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

She supports calls for the whales to be removed immediately from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In recent months, the nation’s government official rejected a proposal to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a continued life in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals belong in the wild, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an relocation that would continue the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements reveal a wider lack of awareness of the realities of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials attempt to find a solution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a key source of food for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received government approval, has been most controversial. The future location, which includes a large area of protected cove, is not yet built. Advocates remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a sustainable solution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the idea of a protected habitat indicates a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a workable solution in the near future.

An official, director of the sanctuary project, said the site will simulate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales get from trainers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|