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Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute small “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

Thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been entangled in a struggle between a closed attraction, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those closest to the whales say the impassioned discussion over their fate often fails to consider the nuances of the whales who, after spending their lives in enclosed habitats, have been thoroughly researched by the caretakers who interact with them daily.

After the federal government blocked the transfer of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near the famous falls where they are kept warned to euthanize them unless the federal government pays for the expense of keeping them alive. The nation’s marine resources official has rejected that request, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable position.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Experts say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their sound replication, intellectual tasks and communal behavior indicate they are deeply intelligent animals – something a former trainer discovered personally.

She spent several years as a whale caretaker, a job that required gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of consistency and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were exceptionally cognitive, but she says she was nevertheless amazed by the nuances and quirks in their personalities. She cultivated a deep bond for a pair of whales with different temperaments.

“Eve chose me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Each altered the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

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

During her time at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, died. In total, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the park attributes to natural mortality, but which campaigners say points to the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The park did not admit visitors to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes effects of the cessation. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re falling apart and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and navigate with chunks in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not reply to a request for comment, but in the past asserted: “The whales … get far better veterinary services and constant supervision than any person in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in recent months following the demise of a beluga, an sick beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility thought particulars of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was let go soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and staff members in despair. She says the park’s warning to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any efforts to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “significant staff”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

Burgess supports calls for the whales to be transferred right away from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official rejected a proposal to send the whales to an overseas location.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a continued existence in enclosure and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that belugas are meant for the wild, not in tanks for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing approve an export that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have suffered.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s statements reflect a more general lack of awareness of the realities of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The people needs to understand these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As authorities attempt to find a solution, ideas have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the open waters of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of food for local populations.

A suggested protected area in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received government approval, has been highly debated. The prospective location, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain hopeful that it could ultimately represent a long term resolution for some of the whales.

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

Others say the possibility of a sanctuary indicates a broader global shift away from captive facilities and could represent a workable solution in the short term.

Charles Vinick, leader of the sanctuary project, said the site will mimic the intellectual stimulation and feeding regimen the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the health of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|