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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming little “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a sizeable but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a struggle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and advocacy groups.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated discussion over their fate often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in captivity, have been closely studied by the caretakers who work with them regularly.

After the federal government prevented the transfer of the belugas to China, the controversial amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are held warned to euthanize them unless the federal government pays for the expense of their care. The nation’s fisheries minister has rejected that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, cognitive challenges and communal behavior point to they are remarkably smart mammals – something Kristy Burgess discovered personally.

Burgess spent three years as a beluga trainer, a job that entailed gaining confidence of the marine predators.

“Establishing those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of care. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so surprised by the details and idiosyncrasies in their dispositions. She formed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with different personalities.

“One whale selected me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Each transformed the way I perceive connection.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales developed against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their captivity.

During her three years at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, died. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the facility attributes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say indicates the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The facility did not open to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and move about with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not comment to a questionnaire, but previously stated: “The whales … receive far higher quality health care and constant attention than any human in the United Kingdom, or anywhere else.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in recent months following the demise of Eos, an unwell beluga the employees had to humanely kill. She said the park thought particulars of the death were shared to the press and she was let go not long after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and other caretakers in distress. She says the park’s ultimatum to end the lives of its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” task, adding any attempts to put down even a individual beluga would require “significant staff”, trucks and machinery.

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

She advocates for requests for the whales to be transferred right away from the facility, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

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

“To approve the proposal would have meant a perpetual situation in confinement and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official stated. “As society, we know that marine mammals are meant for the ocean, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in clear conscience permit an transfer that would continue the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements reveal a wider incorrect perception of the circumstances of existence for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a answer, proposals have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of food for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received official endorsement, has been highly debated. The prospective site, which includes extensive space of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Proponents remain hopeful that it could in time represent a long term resolution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s discussed with, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the idea of a refuge indicates a broader global shift away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a workable solution in the coming months.

The project lead, director of the initiative, said the site will mimic the mental engagement and nutrition the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|