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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming little “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a disagreement between a closed attraction, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned debate over their destiny often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been thoroughly researched by the people who see them each day.

After the Canadian government disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the struggling facility near the famous falls where they are kept warned to euthanize them unless the government covers the expense of their care. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and social skills suggest they are deeply intelligent creatures – something one caretaker learned first-hand.

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

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the details and unique traits in their dispositions. She developed a special affection for a pair of whales with opposing personalities.

“Eve chose me. The other required effort,” she said. “Each altered the way I perceive connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her connection with the whales evolved against a context of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her three years at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the park links to age-related causes, but which activists say indicates the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not open to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the cessation. “Concrete is falling apart from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are inquisitive and so they grab fragments and swim around with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not reply to a questionnaire, but previously stated: “The whales … receive far superior medical attention and around the clock attention than any human in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in the spring following the death of a beluga, an ailing beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected particulars of the incident were shared to the media and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the facility’s threat to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any attempts to put down even a one beluga would require “immense personnel”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

She supports calls for the whales to be taken right away from the facility, with its failing enclosures and shrinking team.

In late September, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a proposal to send the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the application would have meant a continued situation in confinement and a return to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As society, we know that whales are meant for the ocean, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience approve an export that would continue the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments indicate a broader incorrect perception of the realities of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities attempt to find a answer, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a key source of nourishment for local populations.

A proposed sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which now received regulatory clearance, has shown to be contentious. The planned facility, which includes a large area of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Proponents remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a sustainable resolution for eight of the whales.

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

Some experts say the possibility of a protected habitat represents a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a workable solution in the near future.

The project lead, head of the plan, said the facility will simulate the mental engagement and diet the whales get from trainers, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|