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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming small “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a big but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a disagreement between a shuttered park, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense controversy over their fate often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to China, the embattled attraction near Niagara Falls where they are held warned to put them down unless the government covers the expense of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Experts say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and communal behavior indicate they are deeply intelligent animals – something Kristy Burgess discovered directly.

She spent a significant period as a marine mammal specialist, a position that required building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of care. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more open with you. It’s just so magical and fulfilling.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so astounded by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She cultivated a deep bond for two female belugas with opposing personalities.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Both changed the way I view relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales progressed against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In total, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the park links to age-related causes, but which campaigners say points to the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The facility did not operate to the guests over the recent season, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand effects of the closure. “Concrete is falling apart from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and move about with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not reply to a inquiry, but previously claimed: “The whales … obtain far better medical attention and 24/7 attention than any human in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in the spring following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected details of the death were leaked to the press and she was released not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left her 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” undertaking, adding any plans to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “immense staff”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess advocates for requests for the whales to be transferred immediately from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official denied a request to send the whales to China.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a ongoing situation in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the official wrote. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals are meant for the ocean, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in clear conscience permit an export that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s comments reveal a more general lack of awareness of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a resolution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for local populations.

A proposed refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received official endorsement, has been highly debated. The planned site, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a long term solution for some of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an experiment” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the idea of a refuge reflects a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a workable plan in the short term.

An official, head of the initiative, said the site will simulate the intellectual stimulation and nutrition the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|