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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a big but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and moves like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have been entangled in a disagreement between a closed attraction, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated debate over their future often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the federal government disallowed the sale of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are kept stated it would consider to put them down unless the authorities covers the cost of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that demand, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and social skills suggest they are highly cognitive animals – something a former trainer discovered directly.

She spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a position that required building relationships of the marine predators.

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

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She formed a particular love for a pair of whales with opposing temperaments.

“Eve chose me. The other demanded work,” she said. “They changed the way I perceive relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s interaction with the whales progressed against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her time at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the park links to expected lifespan, but which advocates say reflects the substandard environment in which they were housed.

The park did not open to the guests over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand effects of the shutdown. “Concrete is falling apart from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and swim around with fragments in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but previously claimed: “The whales … get far better health care and around the clock attention than any person in the UK, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in the spring following the passing of a beluga, an ailing beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the facility thought information of the death were disclosed to the media and she was released not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and staff members in despair. She says the park’s threat to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any plans to euthanize even a one beluga would require “significant personnel”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

She supports calls for the whales to be taken promptly from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In late September, Canada’s government official turned down a proposal to export the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the request would have meant a ongoing existence in confinement and a return to public entertainment,” the official stated. “As the public, we know that marine mammals belong in the sea, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing authorize an transfer that would prolong the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements reveal a more general misunderstanding of the circumstances of existence for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers struggle to find a solution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of nourishment for Indigenous peoples.

A proposed protected area in the province of Nova Scotia, which has received government approval, has shown to be most controversial. The prospective location, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain positive that it could in time represent a long term resolution for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an untested concept” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the possibility of a protected habitat reflects a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a workable approach in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, director of the plan, said the site will simulate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|