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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie Botts is an cute small “playful character”. Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but fiercely protective friend. Another whale, Zephyr has “endless energy” and sways like a wiggly creature. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a gentle spirit.

A group of thirty enclosed beluga whales in a Canadian amusement park have become pawns in a disagreement between a shuttered park, government authorities and advocacy groups.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense debate over their destiny often ignores the individual traits of the whales who, after growing up in confinement, have been carefully observed by the humans who work with them regularly.

After the Canadian government disallowed the export of the belugas to a foreign facility, the controversial facility near the famous falls where they are housed threatened to end their lives unless the authorities funds the expense of their survival. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that demand, placing the 30 whales in an increasingly precarious circumstance.

Intelligent Sea Creatures

Researchers say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, intellectual tasks and communal behavior indicate they are highly cognitive animals – something one caretaker discovered personally.

She spent several years as a beluga trainer, a job that involved building relationships of the sea creatures.

“Developing those connections over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the beginning, they’re very wary of you,” she said. “Over time, you gain reciprocal understanding. And they start being more vulnerable with you. It’s just so extraordinary and rewarding.”

The trainer knew the whales were very smart, but she says she was even so amazed by the nuances and unique traits in their characters. She developed a special affection for a pair of whales with contrasting personalities.

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

Public Concerns and Deteriorating Conditions

Burgess’s connection with the whales progressed against a background of increasing societal concern to their confinement.

During her time at the attraction, seven belugas and the park’s one killer whale, Kiska, succumbed. In all, 19 belugas have perished at the park since recent years, a number which the facility ascribes to expected lifespan, but which campaigners say indicates the poor conditions in which they were housed.

The park did not open to the public over the recent season, but Burgess says she witnessed firsthand consequences of the shutdown. “Concrete is deteriorating from the tanks because they’re in disrepair and not being fixed. The whales are exploratory and so they take pieces and move about with fragments in their jaws. It’s distressing to see.”

The park did not comment to a request for comment, but previously claimed: “The whales … receive far superior medical attention and around the clock supervision than any person in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Fate in Limbo and Proposed Solutions

Burgess was terminated from the facility in early March following the passing of a beluga, an ailing beluga the employees had to euthanize. She said the facility suspected information of the incident were shared to the press and she was let go shortly thereafter.

The ambiguity over the whales’ outcome has left her and current and former trainers in despair. She says the park’s threat to kill its whales is a negotiation tactic and is a “practically unfeasible” endeavor, adding any efforts to euthanize even a individual beluga would require “immense manpower”, equipment and specialized tools.

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

Burgess supports calls for the whales to be taken right away from the park, with its failing enclosures and dwindling staff.

In recent months, Canada’s fisheries minister rejected a proposal to export the whales to China.

“Granting the application would have meant a continued situation in captivity and a reversion to public entertainment,” the minister wrote. “As the public, we know that whales are meant for the wild, not in enclosures for our entertainment. I could not in ethical standing authorize an relocation that would perpetuate the conditions these belugas have experienced.”

But Burgess said the minister’s remarks reflect a more general lack of awareness of the circumstances of living conditions for belugas living their whole lives in enclosures.

“The society needs to understand these are whales that have existed solely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the foreseeable future,” she said. “People just don’t understand that it’s not as simple as saying ‘close it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Ongoing Debate

As officials work to find a solution, ideas have emerged, some of which have questionable practicality. An idea called for the belugas to be freed into the wilds of northern regions – where whales are a key source of nourishment for local populations.

A proposed refuge in the region of eastern Canada, which has received official endorsement, has proven contentious. The planned location, which includes 100 acres of enclosed sea water, is not yet built. Supporters remain hopeful that it could in time represent a long term solution for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among caretakers she’s spoken with, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “merely an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Others say the possibility of a sanctuary reflects a worldwide trend away from zoos and aquariums and could represent a viable approach in the coming months.

The project lead, director of the sanctuary project, said the location will mimic the cognitive activities and feeding regimen the whales get from specialists, albeit in a much larger environment. He said after the medical condition of whales is thoroughly evaluated, which could take months|an extended period|