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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable little “ham sandwich”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty captive beluga whales in a Canada-based entertainment facility have become pawns in a tussle between a defunct facility, public officials and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the heated debate over their future often ignores the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the federal government disallowed the transfer of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near the famous falls where they are held threatened to end their lives unless the authorities funds the upkeep of keeping them alive. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and communal behavior point to they are deeply intelligent animals – something one caretaker learned first-hand.

Burgess spent several years as a beluga trainer, a role that required earning the trust of the sea creatures.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so magical and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so amazed by the details and unique traits in their dispositions. She developed a particular love for Eve and Cleopatra with different temperaments.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Each transformed the way I understand bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales progressed against a background of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her tenure at the park, seven belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the facility ascribes to natural mortality, but which advocates say indicates the inadequate care in which they were housed.

The facility did not admit visitors to the public over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the cessation. “Concrete is deteriorating from the enclosures because they’re in disrepair and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and swim around with fragments in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not reply to a questionnaire, but previously claimed: “The whales … receive far better health care and constant attention than any person in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in recent months following the death of a beluga, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the park believed information of the death were leaked to the media and she was let go not long after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left her and current and former trainers in distress. She says the facility’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” task, adding any plans to euthanize even a one beluga would require “considerable staff”, vehicles and machinery.

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

She advocates for requests for the whales to be removed promptly from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, the nation’s government official denied a proposal to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the request would have meant a perpetual life in captivity and a return to display for amusement,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that belugas should be in the wild, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing permit an transfer that would continue the treatment these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s comments reveal a wider incorrect perception of the realities of living conditions 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 constant supervision for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials struggle to find a solution, ideas have been put forward, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of Canada’s north – where whales are a key source of food for local populations.

A planned refuge in the province of Nova Scotia, which recently received government approval, has proven most controversial. The future site, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Supporters remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a permanent resolution for a number of the whales.

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

Some experts say the prospect of a protected habitat reflects a changing attitudes away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a feasible plan in the short term.

Charles Vinick, director of the initiative, said the facility will simulate the cognitive activities and nutrition the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a significantly bigger area. He said after the well-being of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|