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The beluga known as Jelly Bean’s offspring Bertie Botts is an cute little “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a large but guardian-like friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and moves like a worm. Lillooet the beluga is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a disagreement between a defunct facility, local and national governments and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the impassioned debate over their destiny often overlooks the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in captivity, have been carefully observed by the caretakers who see them each day.

After the Canadian government prevented the export of the belugas to China, the embattled facility near Niagara Falls where they are held stated it would consider to end their lives unless the federal government covers the upkeep of their survival. The nation’s fisheries minister has denied that demand, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable situation.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, problem solving and social skills suggest they are deeply intelligent animals – something Kristy Burgess discovered first-hand.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a position that involved earning the trust of the aquatic animals.

“Building up those relationships over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of love. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain mutual trust. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless surprised by the subtleties and quirks in their personalities. She cultivated a particular love for a pair of whales with contrasting personalities.

“One whale accepted me. Cleo required effort,” she said. “They changed the way I perceive connection.”

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Her interaction with the whales evolved against a context of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her tenure at the park, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the facility attributes to age-related causes, but which campaigners say reflects the substandard environment in which they were maintained.

The park did not open to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand effects of the closure. “Concrete is breaking off from the enclosures because they’re degrading and not being maintained. The whales are exploratory and so they pick it up and swim around with chunks in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but in the past claimed: “The whales … obtain far higher quality veterinary services and 24/7 attention than any human in the UK, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was dismissed from the park in recent months following the passing of a beluga, an unwell beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility believed information of the incident were disclosed to the media and she was released shortly thereafter.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and staff members in anguish. She says the park’s warning to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any plans to euthanize even a single beluga would require “significant manpower”, equipment and heavy equipment.

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

Burgess supports calls for the whales to be transferred immediately from the park, with its deteriorating pools and dwindling staff.

In late September, Canada’s government official rejected a request to transfer the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the application would have meant a perpetual existence in enclosure and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister commented. “As society, we know that marine mammals belong in the sea, not in pools for our enjoyment. I could not in good conscience approve an export that would perpetuate the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the official’s statements indicate a more general misunderstanding of the facts of life for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The public needs to understand 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. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As authorities work to find a solution, ideas have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a key source of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A planned sanctuary in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received regulatory clearance, has been most controversial. The planned location, which includes extensive space of enclosed sea water, doesn’t yet exist. Advocates remain hopeful that it could in time represent a sustainable answer for eight of the whales.

But, the former trainer says, among caretakers she’s consulted, there is “skepticism there” about what she said is “simply an untested concept” in the whales’ fate.

Some experts say the possibility of a sanctuary reflects a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a workable plan in the near future.

An official, director of the initiative, said the site will replicate the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales get from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive area. He said after the health of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|