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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute small “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a closed attraction, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense controversy over their destiny often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the people who see them each day.

After the national authorities prevented the sale of the belugas to China, the embattled attraction near the famous falls where they are kept stated it would consider to euthanize them unless the authorities pays for the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that request, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and communal behavior point to they are deeply intelligent animals – something Kristy Burgess discovered personally.

Burgess spent three years as a whale caretaker, a position that required building relationships of the marine predators.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

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

“One whale selected me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Each changed the way I perceive connection.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her three years at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park attributes to expected lifespan, but which advocates say reflects the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not admit visitors to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the cessation. “Concrete is breaking off from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and move about with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a request for comment, but previously asserted: “The whales … receive far superior medical attention and 24/7 care than any human in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in recent months following the demise of Eos, an sick beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park believed particulars of the death were shared to the news outlets and she was let go soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any plans to put down even a single beluga would require “significant personnel”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

She supports calls for the whales to be taken promptly from the park, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a bid to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the request would have meant a continued situation in enclosure and a return to public entertainment,” the minister stated. “As Canadians, we know that belugas are meant for the sea, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an transfer that would prolong the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements indicate a broader misunderstanding of the realities of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers struggle to find a solution, proposals have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be released into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for local populations.

A planned sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received government approval, has been highly debated. The planned site, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Supporters remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a sustainable solution for eight of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “only an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the possibility of a sanctuary reflects a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable solution in the coming months.

The project lead, director of the sanctuary project, said the facility will mimic the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|