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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable little “playful character”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a tussle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned controversy over their destiny often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the humans who see them each day.

After the national authorities disallowed the sale of the belugas to China, the controversial facility near Niagara Falls where they are housed warned to euthanize them unless the federal government covers the upkeep of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that demand, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and communal behavior point to they are highly cognitive animals – something one caretaker observed directly.

She spent a significant period as a beluga trainer, a position that required building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the start, 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 magical and rewarding.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the subtleties and quirks in their personalities. She formed a special affection for a pair of whales with opposing temperaments.

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

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s connection with the whales evolved against a context of increasing societal concern to their captivity.

During her tenure at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one orca, the orca, passed away. In total, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the facility attributes to natural mortality, but which activists say points to the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The park did not open to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not reply to a questionnaire, but in the past claimed: “The whales … receive far higher quality health care and 24/7 supervision than any person in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the park in recent months following the passing of a beluga, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the park thought particulars of the incident were leaked to the media and she was fired not long after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ future has left her and other caretakers in despair. She says the facility’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a one beluga would require “significant manpower”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

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

She advocates for demands for the whales to be taken promptly from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a request to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the application would have meant a ongoing situation in captivity and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official commented. “As Canadians, we know that whales should be in the ocean, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience approve an transfer that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reflect a more general misunderstanding of the facts of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As authorities work to find a solution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for local populations.

A suggested sanctuary in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received government approval, has been contentious. The future site, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain hopeful that it could in time represent a sustainable answer for some of the whales.

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

Different voices say the prospect of a sanctuary reflects a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a workable plan in the short term.

Charles Vinick, director of the initiative, said the site will mimic the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales get from specialists, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|