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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a disagreement between a defunct facility, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated controversy over their fate often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the federal government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial amusement park near the famous falls where they are held warned to euthanize them unless the government covers the expense of their survival. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and group interactions point to they are deeply intelligent creatures – something a former trainer discovered personally.

Burgess spent three years as a beluga trainer, a position that required gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the outset, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the subtleties and quirks in their personalities. She developed a particular love for two female belugas with different natures.

“One whale chose me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They changed the way I understand bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales progressed against a background of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her three years at the facility, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the facility links to natural mortality, but which campaigners say points to the poor conditions in which they were kept.

The facility did not open to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly results of the cessation. “Structural materials is falling apart from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they grab fragments and move about with pieces in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not reply to a inquiry, but in the past asserted: “The whales … receive far superior medical attention and constant attention than any human in the Britain, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in early March following the demise of a beluga, an unwell beluga the park staff had to humanely kill. She said the facility suspected information of the incident were shared to the media and she was released soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and staff members in despair. She says the facility’s threat to end the lives of its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any attempts to put down even a single beluga would require “immense staff”, trucks and specialized tools.

“There’s no way in hell the employees would ever do it,” she said.

She advocates for requests for the whales to be taken immediately from the facility, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

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

“To approve the proposal would have meant a ongoing existence in enclosure and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that whales are meant for the wild, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in good conscience authorize an export that would prolong the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But the former trainer said the official’s statements indicate a wider misunderstanding of the facts of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The people needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a resolution, suggestions 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 wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of food for Inuit communities.

A proposed protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received official endorsement, has been most controversial. The planned site, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Proponents remain positive that it could eventually represent a long term solution for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the possibility of a sanctuary indicates a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible plan in the short term.

The project lead, leader of the plan, said the site will simulate the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|