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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable little “playful character”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a big but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

Thirty enclosed marine mammals in a Canadian amusement park have been caught in a tussle between a shuttered park, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those working directly with the whales say the impassioned debate over their future often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the humans who interact with them daily.

After the national authorities blocked the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the struggling facility near Niagara Falls where they are held warned to put them down unless the federal government covers the expense of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that request, placing the thirty whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Intelligent Marine Mammals

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and group interactions suggest they are highly cognitive mammals – something one caretaker discovered personally.

She spent three years as a whale caretaker, a job that entailed earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the outset, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Eventually, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was even so amazed by the subtleties and unique traits in their personalities. She cultivated a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with different natures.

“Eve accepted me. The other made me earn it,” she said. “Each transformed the way I understand relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Her relationship with the whales evolved against a backdrop of growing public opposition to their captivity.

During her tenure at the park, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a number which the facility attributes to natural mortality, but which advocates say indicates the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The facility did not admit visitors to the guests over the summer, but the former trainer says she saw with her own eyes consequences of the closure. “Structural materials is breaking off from the tanks because they’re degrading and not being repaired. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and swim around with fragments in their mouth. It’s distressing to see.”

The facility did not comment to a inquiry, but earlier claimed: “The whales … get far higher quality medical attention and constant supervision than any person in the Britain, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was fired from the facility in early March following the demise of a beluga, an unwell beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the park believed information of the death were shared to the press and she was let go soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ fate has left her and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s ultimatum to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any plans to euthanize even a one beluga would require “immense personnel”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

Burgess backs requests for the whales to be taken right away from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, Canada’s government official turned down a bid to export the whales to China.

“Granting the application would have meant a continued existence in enclosure and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official wrote. “As the public, we know that belugas should be in the sea, not in pools for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing approve an export that would perpetuate the situation these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the official’s statements reveal a wider incorrect perception of the facts of life for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to realize these are whales that have existed solely in captivity and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “Many just don’t comprehend that it’s not as simple as saying ‘end operations’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers attempt to find a answer, suggestions have emerged, some of which have minimal feasibility. One proposal called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of the Arctic – where whales are a important part of food for Inuit communities.

A planned protected area in the region of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has shown to be most controversial. The planned site, which includes a large area of protected cove, remains undeveloped. Supporters remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a long term solution for a number of the whales.

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

Different voices say the prospect of a sanctuary indicates a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a viable solution in the short term.

The project lead, director of the plan, said the location will simulate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales obtain from specialists, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the health of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|