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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming little “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a tussle between a defunct facility, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the heated debate over their future often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the people who work with them regularly.

After the federal government disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are housed warned to end their lives unless the federal government covers the upkeep of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, problem solving and social skills point to they are highly cognitive animals – something Kristy Burgess observed directly.

She spent several years as a whale caretaker, a position that entailed building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the start, 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 gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the subtleties and unique traits in their characters. She cultivated a particular love for a pair of whales with different temperaments.

“Eve selected me. The other required effort,” she said. “They transformed the way I understand bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s relationship with the whales developed against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her three years at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, died. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the facility ascribes to expected lifespan, but which activists say points to the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The facility did not admit visitors to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes effects of the cessation. “Concrete is falling apart from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and navigate with pieces in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not reply to a questionnaire, but earlier stated: “The whales … obtain far better medical attention and around the clock care than any person in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in early March following the death of a beluga, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the park thought information of the incident were leaked to the media and she was fired soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left her and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any efforts to put down even a single beluga would require “immense staff”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

Burgess advocates for requests for the whales to be removed immediately from the park, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In recent months, Canada’s government official turned down a bid to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the request would have meant a ongoing existence in confinement and a return to display for amusement,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that marine mammals should be in the sea, not in pools for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience permit an transfer that would prolong the situation these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks indicate a more general incorrect perception of the realities of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a resolution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for local populations.

A planned sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received government approval, has proven most controversial. The prospective facility, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Supporters remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a sustainable solution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an experiment” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the idea of a sanctuary represents a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable plan in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, director of the sanctuary project, said the location will mimic the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales receive from trainers, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|