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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming little “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but very loyal companion. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a tussle between a closed attraction, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated debate over their fate often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been carefully observed by the people who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government prevented the export of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are held warned to end their lives unless the authorities pays for the upkeep of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that demand, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that belugas’ neuroanatomy, along with their vocal imitation skills, intellectual tasks and group interactions point to they are highly cognitive animals – something one caretaker observed personally.

She spent several years as a beluga trainer, a job that entailed gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very cautious of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so surprised by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She formed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Both changed the way I perceive bonding.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

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

During her time at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, the orca, died. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park links to age-related causes, but which advocates say reflects the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not open to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is breaking off from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are curious and so they take pieces and move about with fragments in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not comment to a questionnaire, but earlier asserted: “The whales … obtain far better veterinary services and around the clock attention than any individual in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in recent months following the death of a beluga, an unwell beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the park suspected information of the incident were leaked to the media and she was fired soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and other caretakers in distress. She says the facility’s warning to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any attempts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “significant personnel”, vehicles and machinery.

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

She backs requests for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In late September, Canada’s government official rejected a proposal to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the request would have meant a continued life in captivity and a reversion to display for amusement,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that whales belong in the ocean, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing permit an export that would prolong the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the official’s remarks reflect a broader incorrect perception of the facts of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to realize these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need human care for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As authorities struggle to find a resolution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received official endorsement, has been highly debated. The planned site, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a permanent answer for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the possibility of a refuge indicates a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a workable plan in the short term.

An official, director of the plan, said the facility will mimic the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|