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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an charming little “ham sandwich”. The whale Orion – nicknamed “Onion” – is a large but guardian-like friend. Zephyr has “ants in his pants” and wiggles like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “loving presence” with a heart of gold.

A group of thirty captive beluga whales in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a struggle between a shuttered park, government authorities and welfare campaigners.

But those most familiar with the whales say the heated controversy over their future often fails to consider the complexities of the whales who, after spending their lives in confinement, have been thoroughly researched by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the federal government prevented the sale of the belugas to China, the struggling amusement park near Niagara Falls where they are kept stated it would consider to put them down unless the authorities funds the cost of keeping them alive. Canada’s fisheries minister has refused that ultimatum, placing the thirty whales in an dangerously unstable circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that belugas’ neural makeup, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and social skills suggest they are remarkably smart mammals – something one caretaker observed personally.

She spent several years as a marine mammal specialist, a role that entailed gaining confidence of the aquatic animals.

“Establishing those connections over time takes a lot of dedication and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “In time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so magical and gratifying.”

Burgess knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nevertheless surprised by the details and unique traits in their characters. She formed a special affection for Eve and Cleopatra with different temperaments.

“One whale chose me. The other required effort,” she said. “They altered the way I perceive bonding.”

Growing Opposition and Facility Decline

Burgess’s relationship with the whales progressed against a backdrop of rising activist criticism to their confinement.

During her tenure at the attraction, multiple belugas and the park’s one orca, Kiska, succumbed. In all, nineteen belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a toll which the park links to natural mortality, but which advocates say points to the inadequate care in which they were kept.

The facility did not operate to the guests over the recent season, but Burgess says she saw with her own eyes effects of the cessation. “Concrete is falling apart from the tanks because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they take pieces and move about with fragments in their jaws. It’s upsetting to see.”

The facility did not respond to a request for comment, but earlier claimed: “The whales … get far higher quality medical attention and around the clock supervision than any person in the UK, or other places.”

Uncertain Future and Proposed Solutions

The former employee was fired from the park in the spring following the demise of Eos, an ailing beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the park thought particulars of the death were disclosed to the media and she was fired soon after.

The ambiguity over the whales’ future has left Burgess and current and former trainers in anguish. She says the facility’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” undertaking, adding any attempts to put down even a single beluga would require “significant staff”, trucks and machinery.

“It cannot happen in hell the caretakers would ever do it,” she said.

Burgess backs requests for the whales to be transferred promptly from the park, with its deteriorating pools and reduced personnel.

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister turned down a bid to export the whales to an overseas location.

“Allowing the application would have meant a ongoing situation in captivity and a reversion to performance for audiences,” the official stated. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals belong in the ocean, not in enclosures for our enjoyment. I could not in clear conscience approve an relocation that would continue the conditions these belugas have suffered.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks reveal a broader misunderstanding of the circumstances of life for belugas raised in confinement.

“The people needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in confinement and they will need constant supervision for the rest of their years,” she said. “Many just don’t realize that it’s not as straightforward as saying ‘close it down’.”

Alternative Habitat and Continuing Discussion

As decision makers work to find a solution, ideas have surfaced, some of which have questionable practicality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a important part of sustenance for local populations.

A planned sanctuary in the region of eastern Canada, which recently received official endorsement, has shown to be most controversial. The planned facility, which includes 100 acres of protected cove, doesn’t yet exist. Proponents remain positive that it could eventually represent a sustainable solution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among staff she’s spoken with, there is “no trust there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ future.

Some experts say the prospect of a protected habitat reflects a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable solution in the near future.

An official, leader of the initiative, said the location will simulate the cognitive activities and diet the whales receive from caretakers, albeit in a more expansive environment. He said after the well-being of whales is completely examined, which could take months|an extended period|