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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an adorable small “sweetheart”. Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a sizeable but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and moves like a wiggly creature. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

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

But those working directly with the whales say the intense controversy over their fate often overlooks the complexities of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been carefully observed by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the federal government disallowed the export of the belugas to China, the struggling attraction near Niagara Falls where they are housed stated it would consider to put them down unless the government funds the expense of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has denied that ultimatum, placing the 30 whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and social skills indicate they are deeply intelligent animals – something Kristy Burgess discovered directly.

She spent three years as a whale caretaker, a job that involved building relationships of the aquatic animals.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of love. At the beginning, 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.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in their characters. She cultivated a special affection for a pair of whales with different natures.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “Each changed the way I view relationships.”

Growing Opposition and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s connection with the whales progressed against a context of growing public opposition to their confinement.

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s single orca, Kiska, passed away. In all, 19 belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility ascribes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say points to the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The park did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but the former trainer says she observed directly effects of the shutdown. “Concrete is falling apart from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are curious and so they pick it up and swim around with pieces in their jaws. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The park did not reply to a inquiry, but previously stated: “The whales … obtain far superior health care and around the clock supervision than any person in the United Kingdom, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was dismissed from the park in recent months following the death of Eos, an ailing beluga the caretakers had to euthanize. She said the park suspected information of the death were leaked to the news outlets and she was fired soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ future has left her and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s warning to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “logistically impossible” endeavor, adding any plans to euthanize even a single beluga would require “immense staff”, vehicles and machinery.

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

Burgess backs demands for the whales to be removed immediately from the facility, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In the autumn, Canada’s fisheries minister turned down a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“To approve the proposal would have meant a ongoing life in confinement and a return to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As society, we know that belugas are meant for the wild, not in tanks for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience authorize an transfer that would continue the situation these belugas have endured.”

But the former trainer said the minister’s remarks indicate a broader misunderstanding of the facts of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have spent their whole lives in enclosed habitats and they will need human care for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Ongoing Debate

As decision makers work to find a resolution, proposals have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be released into the wilds of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of food for local populations.

A suggested refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which has received government approval, has proven highly debated. The future location, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain optimistic that it could in time represent a permanent solution for eight of the whales.

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

Others say the prospect of a protected habitat reflects a worldwide trend away from animal displays and could represent a workable plan in the short term.

An official, leader of the plan, said the location will replicate the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales get from trainers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|