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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming small “sweetheart”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion Ring” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a disagreement between a defunct facility, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned controversy over their future often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after living their entire lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the people who interact with them daily.

After the Canadian government disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled attraction near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to end their lives unless the federal government covers the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their vocal imitation skills, problem solving and social skills point to they are remarkably smart mammals – something a former trainer discovered first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a role that required gaining confidence of the sea creatures.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so astounded by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She cultivated a particular love for two female belugas with opposing temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Both transformed the way I view connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s relationship with the whales developed against a background of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, died. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility ascribes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say indicates the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The facility did not admit visitors to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the cessation. “Structural materials is falling apart from the pools because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and navigate with fragments in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not reply to a inquiry, but previously stated: “The whales … obtain far better veterinary services and constant care than any person in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the facility in recent months following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility thought details of the incident were leaked to the press and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the park’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “significant staff”, trucks and specialized tools.

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

She supports demands for the whales to be transferred immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In recent months, Canada’s government official rejected a request to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the application would have meant a ongoing situation in enclosure and a return to performance for audiences,” the minister wrote. “As Canadians, we know that belugas should be in the ocean, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing approve an transfer that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments indicate a broader misunderstanding of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas raised in confinement.

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

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers attempt to find a answer, ideas have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of food for Inuit communities.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received official endorsement, has proven highly debated. The planned facility, which includes 100 acres of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a sustainable solution for some of the whales.

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

Different voices say the possibility of a refuge indicates a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a feasible solution in the coming months.

Charles Vinick, leader of the sanctuary project, said the site will simulate the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales obtain from caretakers, albeit in a significantly bigger space. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|