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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an adorable little “sweetheart”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but very loyal companion. Another whale, Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a heart of gold.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a disagreement between a closed attraction, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the intense debate over their future often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the national authorities disallowed the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are housed threatened to put them down unless the federal government funds the expense of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has refused that request, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain position.

Highly Cognitive Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their vocal imitation skills, cognitive challenges and communal behavior suggest they are highly cognitive animals – something a former trainer observed directly.

Burgess spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that required building relationships of the marine predators.

“Developing those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the start, 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 magical and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so surprised by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She formed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with opposing temperaments.

“Eve chose me. The other demanded work,” she said. “Each altered the way I view connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s interaction with the whales evolved against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their enclosure.

During her time at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility links to natural mortality, but which activists say reflects the poor conditions in which they were maintained.

The facility did not operate to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is falling apart from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being repaired. The whales are exploratory and so they grab fragments and swim around with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a questionnaire, but previously stated: “The whales … receive far higher quality health care and around the clock attention than any person in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in recent months following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the park thought details of the death were shared to the media and she was released shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and staff members in distress. She says the facility’s warning to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “logistically impossible” task, adding any attempts to humanely kill even a individual beluga would require “considerable personnel”, vehicles and machinery.

“It’s impossible in hell the caretakers would ever do it,” she said.

She supports requests for the whales to be taken immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a proposal to export the whales to China.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a perpetual life in captivity and a reversion to public entertainment,” the official commented. “As the public, we know that whales are meant for the wild, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience permit an relocation that would continue the treatment these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the official’s comments reveal a broader lack of awareness of the facts of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The public needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need constant supervision for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t realize that it’s not as easy as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a solution, ideas have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of sustenance for Inuit communities.

A proposed sanctuary in the province of eastern Canada, which recently received official endorsement, has been contentious. The planned site, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain positive that it could ultimately represent a permanent resolution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s consulted, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “simply an trial” in the whales’ fate.

Others say the idea of a sanctuary reflects a broader global shift away from animal displays and could represent a viable plan in the near future.

An official, leader of the initiative, said the facility will simulate the cognitive activities and diet the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|