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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but very loyal friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a shuttered park, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned debate over their future often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the people who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities disallowed the transfer of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling attraction near Niagara Falls where they are kept threatened to put them down unless the government funds the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Experts say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and social skills indicate they are deeply intelligent animals – something one caretaker learned directly.

She spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a role that involved gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Establishing those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so amazed by the subtleties and unique traits in their personalities. She formed a particular love for a pair of whales with different temperaments.

“Eve selected me. The other demanded work,” she said. “They altered the way I understand relationships.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s connection with the whales evolved against a context of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, died. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the park attributes to age-related causes, but which activists say indicates the substandard environment in which they were kept.

The park did not operate to the visitors over the recent season, but the former trainer says she observed directly effects of the cessation. “Concrete is falling apart from the pools because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and swim around with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not reply to a request for comment, but in the past asserted: “The whales … receive far superior medical attention and around the clock attention than any human in the UK, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the park in recent months following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to put down. She said the park believed details of the death were leaked to the press and she was fired shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and other caretakers in anguish. She says the park’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any plans to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “immense manpower”, equipment and machinery.

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

She backs requests for the whales to be taken right away from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a perpetual existence in enclosure and a return to display for amusement,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that belugas are meant for the sea, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in ethical standing permit an export that would continue the situation these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s comments reflect a broader lack of awareness of the circumstances of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As authorities attempt to find a solution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have minimal feasibility. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of the Arctic – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A proposed sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which has received regulatory clearance, has shown to be most controversial. The prospective facility, which includes a large area of protected cove, is not yet built. Advocates remain hopeful that it could in time represent a long term solution for some of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ future.

Different voices say the possibility of a protected habitat represents a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable plan in the near future.

The project lead, leader of the initiative, said the location will mimic the mental engagement and nutrition the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|