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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been caught in a disagreement between a closed attraction, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense debate over their future often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the federal government prevented the sale of the belugas to China, the controversial facility near the famous falls where they are housed warned to end their lives unless the government covers the expense of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, cognitive challenges and communal behavior point to they are remarkably smart animals – something one caretaker learned directly.

Burgess spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a position that entailed building relationships of the marine predators.

“Building up those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so extraordinary and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nonetheless astounded by the nuances and quirks in their personalities. She cultivated a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with different personalities.

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

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s connection with the whales evolved against a background of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility links to expected lifespan, but which advocates say indicates the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The facility did not open to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand results of the cessation. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not reply to a request for comment, but in the past claimed: “The whales … get far superior veterinary services and around the clock attention than any individual in the UK, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in recent months following the passing of Eos, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility believed details of the incident were shared to the press and she was let go not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ fate has left her and staff members in despair. She says the park’s warning to end the lives of 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”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

She backs requests for the whales to be transferred immediately from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official denied a bid to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a continued situation in enclosure and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official commented. “As society, we know that whales are meant for the sea, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience permit an transfer that would continue the conditions these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reflect a wider incorrect perception of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in confinement and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a resolution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A suggested sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which now received government approval, has shown to be contentious. The planned location, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain optimistic that it could ultimately represent a long term solution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s discussed with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ future.

Others say the prospect of a sanctuary represents a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible solution in the near future.

An official, leader of the sanctuary project, said the location will replicate the cognitive activities and diet the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the medical condition of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|