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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a disagreement between a shuttered park, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned debate over their future often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government prevented the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near the famous falls where they are held stated it would consider to put them down unless the federal government funds the expense of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and group interactions suggest they are deeply intelligent mammals – something one caretaker learned first-hand.

She spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that involved building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very wary 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 highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the details and quirks in their characters. She developed a special affection for a pair of whales with different personalities.

“One whale selected me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Both altered the way I view relationships.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales developed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her time at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, passed away. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility ascribes to age-related causes, but which activists say indicates the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The park did not operate to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the cessation. “Structural materials is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and move about with fragments in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not comment to a request for comment, but in the past stated: “The whales … obtain far better medical attention and around the clock care than any human in the Britain, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the facility in recent months following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to humanely kill. She said the park believed details of the death were disclosed to the news outlets and she was released soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and current and former trainers in distress. She says the park’s warning to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “considerable manpower”, equipment and machinery.

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

Burgess supports requests for the whales to be taken right away from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In the autumn, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a proposal to transfer the whales to China.

“Allowing the request would have meant a ongoing situation in captivity and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that belugas should be in the ocean, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience approve an transfer that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements reflect a wider lack of awareness of the realities of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers struggle to find a answer, proposals have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for local populations.

A proposed protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has been contentious. The future site, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain positive that it could in time represent a sustainable answer for a number of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the prospect of a refuge represents a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a feasible plan in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, head of the plan, said the facility will simulate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales get from specialists, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|