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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming small “ham sandwich”. Orion – called “Onion Ring” – is a sizeable but very loyal friend. Zephyr has “constant motion” and sways like a worm. Lillooet is the “biggest cuddle bug” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canada-based amusement park have been entangled in a disagreement between a shuttered park, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those closest to the whales say the heated controversy over their fate often overlooks the individual traits of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been closely studied by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the federal government prevented the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial attraction near the famous falls where they are kept threatened to put them down unless the federal government pays for the cost of their survival. Canada’s fisheries minister has rejected that request, placing the 30 whales in an ever more uncertain situation.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ brain structure, along with their sound replication, problem solving and group interactions indicate they are deeply intelligent mammals – something one caretaker learned personally.

Burgess spent a significant period as a whale caretaker, a role that required earning the trust 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 open with you. It’s just so wonderful and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so astounded by the nuances and quirks in their dispositions. She cultivated a deep bond for Eve and Cleopatra with contrasting temperaments.

“Eve selected me. Cleo demanded work,” she said. “Both changed the way I view bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales progressed against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her three years at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have died at the park since recent years, a statistic which the facility ascribes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say points to the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The facility did not admit visitors to the visitors over the summer, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand effects of the cessation. “Concrete is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re in disrepair 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 facility did not respond to a request for comment, but earlier claimed: “The whales … get far higher quality medical attention and 24/7 supervision than any human in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was fired from the park in early March following the death of a beluga, an unwell beluga the caretakers had to put down. She said the facility thought particulars of the incident were shared to the media and she was fired soon after.

The lack of clarity over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the park’s threat to kill its whales is a leverage tool and is a “extremely difficult” undertaking, adding any plans to humanely kill even a single beluga would require “immense personnel”, vehicles and specialized tools.

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

Burgess advocates for calls for the whales to be transferred right away from the facility, with its deteriorating pools and shrinking team.

In late September, the nation’s government official turned down a bid to export the whales to China.

“Granting the proposal would have meant a continued life in enclosure and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that whales should be in the ocean, not in enclosures for our amusement. I could not in ethical standing authorize an relocation that would prolong the situation these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks reflect a wider lack of awareness of the realities of existence for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in captivity and they will need ongoing assistance for the rest of their years,” she said. “The public just don’t understand that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘end operations’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a solution, suggestions have emerged, some of which have little basis in reality. A suggested plan called for the belugas to be let go into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of nourishment for Inuit communities.

A suggested protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which has received government approval, has proven highly debated. The planned location, which includes a large area of protected cove, is not yet built. Advocates remain positive that it could in time represent a sustainable answer for eight of the whales.

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

Others say the idea of a refuge represents a changing attitudes away from animal displays and could represent a viable solution in the short term.

Charles Vinick, head of the sanctuary project, said the site will simulate the intellectual stimulation and diet the whales obtain from trainers, albeit in a more expansive space. He said after the medical condition of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|