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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an charming little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a struggle between a defunct facility, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated controversy over their future often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the federal government disallowed the sale of the belugas to China, the embattled amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are kept warned to euthanize them unless the authorities funds the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s marine resources official has rejected that request, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and group interactions indicate they are highly cognitive animals – something a former trainer observed personally.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a job that involved gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was nevertheless astounded by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She formed a particular love for two female belugas with different temperaments.

“Eve chose me. The other required effort,” she said. “Each transformed the way I view bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Burgess’s relationship with the whales evolved against a context of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, died. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility attributes to age-related causes, but which advocates say reflects the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The facility did not open to the public over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand results of the shutdown. “Concrete is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and move about with chunks in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not reply to a inquiry, but in the past stated: “The whales … obtain far better veterinary services and 24/7 care than any person in the UK, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in early March following the passing of a beluga, an ailing beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the park suspected information of the death were disclosed to the news outlets and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left Burgess and staff members in despair. She says the park’s threat to euthanize its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any plans to euthanize even a single beluga would require “significant manpower”, trucks and machinery.

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

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

In late September, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a proposal to transfer the whales to China.

“Allowing the proposal would have meant a ongoing life in captivity and a return to display for amusement,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that whales should be in the sea, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in good conscience permit an relocation that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements reflect a wider lack of awareness of the realities of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people 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. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a resolution, proposals have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the open waters of northern regions – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for local populations.

A planned refuge in the province of eastern Canada, which now received official endorsement, has shown to be contentious. The prospective site, which includes a large area of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain optimistic that it could eventually represent a long term answer for eight of the whales.

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

Some experts say the possibility of a refuge reflects a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a workable solution in the short term.

An official, director of the initiative, said the location will mimic the mental engagement and nutrition the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a much larger space. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|